Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 February 2010
263 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the detail of all cross-Border programmes, initiatives, areas of co-operation and similar which his Department is currently engaged in or about to engage in with its counterparts in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5494/10]
View answerIn line with Government policy, my Department continues to engage with the authorities in Northern Ireland with a view to providing integrated and seamless co-operation across a number of policy areas.
Under the Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters, signed in June 2005, project groups comprising relevant officials and practitioners from the two jurisdictions have been established to take forward co-operation in the fields of Youth Justice, Victim Support (including representation from the two Courts Services), Management of Sex Offenders, Public Protection (including representation from the two Prison Services), Forensic Science and Social Diversity. These groups involve high-level representation from relevant criminal justice agencies North and South and their role is to promote and co-ordinate co-operation in their specific policy area. This includes practical operational co-operation, exchange of best practice and sharing of policy initiatives, and, where appropriate, exchange of personnel.
In relation specifically to the management of Sex Offenders, a new cross-border Group is currently being formed to investigate current arrangements for returning sex offenders who travel to the other jurisdiction in breach of the conditions of their release or notification requirements. The Group will also seek to identify any weaknesses in arrangements for their return and make recommendations to Ministers for improvements where necessary. My Department is also engaged in a process involving Northern Ireland, England and Wales, and Scotland which seeks as its final aim the better harmonisation of sex offender legislation across Britain and Ireland.
The two Probation Services on the island have a long history of co-operation, including on operational matters, and their senior management teams meet regularly. Where appropriate, representatives of the two Services have collaborated on the drafting of joint practice development and information sharing initiatives and protocols. They also have reciprocal arrangements for the mutual completion of Court requested assessments and supervision of offenders living in one jurisdiction but appearing in Court in the other.
Under the auspices of the Public Protection group, the two Probation Services are currently seeking to introduce an all island system for sex offender assessment. A joint cross border approach is also being advanced to the evaluation and validation of the risk assessment tools.
In relation to the child protection work programme agreed under the auspices of the North South Ministerial Council, officials of my Department are co-operating with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on the issue of internet safety. In this context they are considering the increasing problems associated with the internet and social networking, and a working group has been tasked with considering the scope for cross-border co-operation including the sharing of best practice.
The Courts Service has engaged in significant cross border co-operation and dialogue since its establishment. Regular bilateral meetings are held between senior management, and co-operation takes place in relation to the development of major ICT and capital building projects. The Courts Service will be hosting the regular Conference of the Guardianship, Protection and Wardship jurisdictions for UK and Ireland in September 2010.
In the context of work on the National Strategy for Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, officials from Cosc, the National Office for Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, met with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Office and the NI Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in June last year to discuss the development of policy and awareness-raising in the area and the challenges still faced in tackling domestic and sexual violence. There has been informal contact between the parties since the meeting and it is intended to continue this co-operation.
Officials from Cosc also meet regularly with the NI officials and NGOs at the Raising the Standards Group. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is a founder member of this Inter-Jurisdictional group, which was set up in 2000 to share information and good practice on domestic violence-related issues. The group is composed of representatives from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
My Department, in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Office and law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border, organises an annual conference considering the topic of co-operation between law enforcement agencies in tackling the subject of serious cross border criminality. This conference is a regular annual event and brings together a wide range of law enforcement agencies North and South to discuss issues and common difficulties with a view to seeing how co-operation can be further enhanced in practical terms. In previous years this event has acted as a catalyst in driving forward efforts on specific areas of criminality such as tiger kidnappings and fuel laundering.
I should also mention the 2002 Intergovernmental Agreement on Police Co-operation. While obviously the implementation of this Agreement is a matter in the first instance for the Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, my Department engages in and supports this process wherever appropriate and practicable. To give an idea of some of the measures taken forward under the Agreement, eighty personnel exchanges have so far taken place between the two police services and the first secondment with full police powers of a Garda officer, of Superintendent level, to the PSNI is expected to commence in the coming weeks.
Overall, cross-border initiatives remain a priority for my Department and we will continue to seek to take forward programmes which enhance North/South co-operation. There is no doubt in my mind that co-operation in such areas as policing, criminal justice policy and enforcement, harmonisation of legislation and the sharing of expertise and best practice can only be to the benefit of all the people of Ireland. I hope that the early devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly will take place and allow for co-operation across the full range of justice matters to be augmented and enhanced wherever appropriate.
