Vol. 493 No. 5
52 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the discussions, if any, he has had with the British authorities in relation to the composition of the commission on policing in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13396/98]
60 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the contacts, if any, he has had with the British Government in relation to the composition of the police commission established under the British-Irish Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14230/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 60 together.
The British-Irish Agreement provides for the establishment of the Independent Commission on Policing to make recommendations for future policing arrangements in Northern Ireland, including means of encouraging widespread community support for these arrangements.
The Government regards policing as a critical element of the British-Irish Agreement and wishes the commission well. As I have stated previously, the Government looks forward to working closely and actively with the commission under its distinguished chairman in the carrying out of its work.
The Government provided the British Government with a list of potential members of the policing commission, including a number of international names. One of these nominees was appointed to the commission by the British Government when its full membership was announced on 3 June 1998. Before this announcement, there were intensive discussions between the two Governments, both at political and official level, including on the nature of the expertise required of the membership.
The Government will continue to work in close consultation with the British Government to implement all the provisions of the British-Irish Agreement.
