Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 July 2022
528. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice the ongoing contact that she or her Department has with the Northern Ireland Justice Department in relation to matters of North-South interest; when she last met the Minister for Justice in that jurisdiction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35933/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to Question No. 5 of today's date.
I am pleased to say there is ongoing contact between myself and my colleague, Naomi Long, Minister for Justice in the Northern Ireland Executive, as well as excellent ongoing cross border co-operation between our respective Departments on a range of issues as well as between An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland and other agencies with their counterparts.
As the Deputy is aware, the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) on Co-operation on Criminal Justice is the main formal stream of ongoing joint work with the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland. Under the IGA, Justice Ministers from the two jurisdictions meet regularly to discuss criminal justice matters of mutual interest or concern and to develop plans to achieve more effective co-operation and co-ordination on criminal justice matters. The last IGA Ministerial meeting was held virtually in February at which Minister Long and I agreed a new work plan to run until the end of 2023. The next Ministerial meeting under the IGA is being planned for the autumn and will hopefully be in person.
Under the IGA, a Senior Officials Working Group oversees co-operation in a number of criminal justice areas including forensic science, public protection, victim support and youth justice matters. This Group last met in March and includes senior policy-makers from all the relevant areas from both jurisdictions.
Outside of the formal framework of the IGA, there is regular North-South co-operation. Minister Long and I have recently engaged on victim’s issues and we issued a joint statement to mark international women’s day on the topic of consent.
The Secretary General of my Department met with her counterpart recently and there is ongoing contact at senior official level.
