The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD, today attended the 17th annual Cross Border Conference on Organised Crime, along with Mr Peter May, Permanent Secretary for the Department of Justice Northern Ireland, the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, and the Chief Constable of the PSNI, Simon Byrne.
Speaking at the Conference, which is being held this year at the Slieve Russell Hotel in Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan, and which aims to enhance existing cooperation between law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border in relation to organised crime, the Minister paid tribute to the law enforcement agencies north and south of the border for their continuing commitment to working collectively to combat organised crime.
Minister Flanagan said:
Information Sharing and Co-operation’ are the twin themes of this year’s conference. And they are at the very heart of the ongoing partnership, North and South, that continues to yield successful outcomes in terms of crime investigation and prevention. This is vital for communities living along the border in particular
Minister Flanagan also reflected on the new and additional challenges which arise in the context of Brexit. The Minister emphasised that:
dissidents, and criminals, cannot be allowed to take advantage of Brexit to undermine peace on the island or to engage in other illegal cross-border activities and this forum will be a vital bulwark in that fight.
Peter May, Permanent Secretary, Department of Justice NI, added:
While there is a lot of uncertainty around Brexit, what we do know is that criminals will seek to exploit new opportunities that arise under any future scenario. It is therefore important - whether the UK leaves the European Union with or without a deal - that ways are found to protect and maintain the close North South cooperation which all of our citizens require to keep them as safe as possible from the threat of organised crime.
Collaborative working, so clearly demonstrated at events like the annual cross border security conference, continues to be the cornerstone when it comes to building networks of expertise to combat and thwart crime.
The following agencies are participating in this year’s conference: An Garda Síochána, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the National Crime Agency, the Revenue Commissioners, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and relevant Government Departments North and South.
Objectives of the Conference include improving the utilisation of communication and information sharing systems, sharing experiences and developing recommendations aimed at enhancing cross-border working relationships. These recommendations will be taken forward by the Joint Agency Task Force.
Speaking at the event, Minister Flanagan also reiterated his condemnation of the violent assault on Kevin Lunney, Chief Operating Officer at Quinn Industrial Holdings, commenting that,
horrific incidents such as this remind us all how critical it is to actively and continually facilitate deep cross border cooperation. I know that no stone will be left unturned to bring the perpetrators of this abominable attack to justice.
The Minister concluded by paying tribute to the dedication and commitment to public safety of the organisations working in this field.
In the margins of the Conference, an agreement was also signed by the Garda Commissioner and Chief Constable of the PSNI in relation to personnel exchanges between the organisations.
Note to Editors
The 17th Annual Cross Border Conference on Organised Crime is taking place on 25 and 26 September 2019 at the Slieve Russell Hotel in Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan.
The Conference aims to enhance cooperation between law enforcement agencies north and south of the border, particularly in relation to cross border organised criminality and related issues. It provides an opportunity to assess and address changing trends in organised crime and to build upon the operational actions already being undertaken.
The Conference will include keynote addresses by Minister Flanagan, the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland, the Garda Commissioner and the Chief Constable of the PSNI.
In view of the operational focus of the conference, there will be significant attendance by representatives of An Garda Síochána, PSNI, National Crime Agency, Revenue Commissioners and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.
The overall theme of this year’s conference is “information-sharing and cooperation”. Presentations will be delivered on topics including Information Systems; Organised Crime Gangs; Drugs; and the Dark Net / Use of Digital Technology to Fight Crime.
The conference is co-funded by the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland.
Management of the Conference alternates between Ireland and Northern Ireland. This year’s conference was organised by the Department of Justice and Equality.
Recommendations from the Conference will flow to Joint Agency Task Force. The Joint Agency Task Force is now almost 4 years in operation and seeks to build on existing law enforcement frameworks and increase the collective effectiveness of inter-agency operational law enforcement actions.