Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 July 2021
124. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice if additional measures will be implemented on a cross-Border basis to deal with the illicit trade in illegal drugs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36819/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can assure the Deputy that tackling serious crime, including drug trafficking and the supply of illicit drugs, are key priorities for the Government.
As the Deputy is aware, there is strong ongoing cooperation between An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The cross-border Joint Agency Task Force (JATF) was established under the 2015 Fresh Start Agreement to bring a concerted and enhanced effort to tackle cross-jurisdictional organised crime. The Task Force is led by senior officers from An Garda Síochána, Revenue, the PSNI and HM Revenue and Customs. The Criminal Assets Bureau and the National Crime Agency are also involved as needed in operational activity.
Tackling drug related crime by disrupting criminal groups and targeting their money is among the top priorities for the JATF. At a recent meeting with my Northern Ireland counterpart, Justice Minister Naomi Long on 26 May, we were briefed by officers from An Garda Síochána and the PSNI who updated us on the work of the Task Force. They highlighted the practical value in the continuing high level of co-operation and operational activity between the agencies in tackling drug crime, as well as rural crime, financial crime, trafficking in human beings including children, excise fraud, and organised immigration crime.
I can further inform the Deputy that on 10 June, the two police services announced a number of arrests and the seizure of significant quantities of controlled substances and cash, arising from the work of the JATF.
The JATF is just one element of the excellent ongoing co-operation between the Gardaí and the PSNI in respect of the full range of policing activities. A joint Cross Border Policing Strategy covers the range of policing activities and contains a series of initiatives in which both police services are actively engaged.
An example of the close cooperation between the two jurisdictions is the Cross-Border Seminar on Organised Crime. This is an annual event organised jointly by the two Justice Departments and the two police services which focuses on co-operation and best practice in countering organised crime that seeks to exploit the border. The most recent seminar was organised as a webinar event on 17 December 2020 due to the public health restrictions.
I am assured by Garda authorities that the long established and close working relationship with the PSNI remains central in An Garda Síochána’s efforts to providing an effective policing service to the border area and its communities.
It is also noteworthy that last week, on 1 July, An Garda Síochána initiated Operation Tara, an enhanced national anti-drugs operation, with a strong focus on tackling street-level dealing in cities, towns and villages across the country based on intelligence and the latest crime trends.
This, together with the other operations, will continue to play a crucial role in the all-island efforts to tackle the detrimental impact of drug related crime and I would like to express my appreciation to all the frontline officers involved for their ongoing work.
