Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 January 2016
10. Deputy Helen McEntee asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her efforts to combat criminality by paramilitary organisations in the Leinster and Ulster Border region, further to the agreement of A Fresh Start - The Stormont House Agreement and Implementation Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45028/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe talks leading to A Fresh Start - The Stormont House Agreement and implementation Plan included a focus on tackling cross-Border organised crime as part of the series of measures to support a culture of lawfulness and bring an end to paramilitarism in Northern Ireland.
The Agreement includes out a new structure to enhance and intensify North-South co-operation in tackling cross-Border organised crime, including that linked to paramilitarism. The Agreement establishes a Joint Agency Task Force to enhance efforts to tackle cross-Border organised crime and to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of those involved in it. The Joint Agency Task Force proposal was designed by the parties to the Agreement to build on the excellent North-South law enforcement co-operation that is taking place already.
A trilateral ministerial meeting was held on 21 December last to finalise the Joint Agency Task Force proposal. Along with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I was happy to welcome the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers MP, the Northern Ireland Justice Minister, David Ford MLA, the then First Minister, Peter Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness MLA, to Dublin for the meeting. This trilateral meeting fulfilled the commitment under the Agreement to hold such a meeting of the Irish and British Governments and the Northern Ireland Executive. All Ministers were at one on the need to maintain a priority focus on tackling cross-Border organised crime between the jurisdictions.
The new Joint Agency Task Force will step up and intensify that co-operation at both the strategic and operational levels. Building on the current successes, I expect the agencies involved to further improve overall co-ordination in terms of strategic direction against the priority areas of organised crime identified and also in terms of the co-ordinated and joint deployment of front line operations aimed at disrupting, prosecuting and reducing cross-border organised crime.
The Task Force will be led by the police and revenue services and will be jointly chaired at a very senior level by a Deputy Commissioner of An Garda Síochána and an Assistant Chief Constable of the PSNI. This is essential to providing strong strategic direction and oversight to the front-line operational side.
The Task Force will integrate representatives from not only the police and revenue services, but also from other law enforcement agencies, including the Criminal Assets Bureau and the UK National Crime Agency, who can bring a particular expert focus on targeting and seizing the assets of those involved in organised crime. We know from our experience that seizing the proceeds of crime is a key means of undermining organised crime. The relevant law enforcement agencies with a remit to tackle, for example, environmental crime, such as illegal waste dumping, or immigration offences such as human trafficking for forced labour will be integrated into the Task Force.
The Task Force will provide a report on its work to the Justice Ministers North and South at their six-monthly Ministerial meetings under the framework of the Inter-Governmental Agreement on co-operation on criminal justice matters. It is the intention that these reports will be made public.
The joint chairs of the Task Force have already had a scoping meeting and the arrangements are being made for a meeting of the full Strategic Oversight Group in the near future.
