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Minister McEntee and Minister Long meet to discuss North South Cooperation in Criminal Justice Matters

The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, TD met today with the Northern Ireland Justice Minister, Naomi Long, MLA to discuss North-South co-operation across the range of criminal justice matters under the Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters. The meeting was held virtually, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

 

The Ministers reviewed progress on the range of ongoing cross-border initiatives in the areas of Youth Justice, Supports for Victims - particularly in domestic abuse and sexual violence cases, Public Protection, Forensic Science, and Criminal Justice and Social Diversity. The Ministers also agreed a new series of measures to take forward work in these areas for the coming year.

 

At the meeting, An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland updated the Ministers on the work of the cross border Joint Agency Task Force. The Task Force was established under the 2015 Fresh Start Agreement and is led by senior officers from An Garda Síochána, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Revenue Commissioners and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.  A number of other relevant bodies, including the National Crime Agency and the Criminal Assets Bureau are also involved in the Task Force.

 

The objective of the Task Force is to tackle organised and cross jurisdictional crime. A number of priority areas are identified by the Task Force and there has been notable activity in the areas of Drugs, Financial Crime, Trafficking in Human Beings, Excise Fraud and Organised Immigration Crime.

 

Minister McEntee expressed her support for the close North South working relationship,

Co-operation in policing and criminal justice remains a priority. We face similar challenges in both parts of the island in combating crime, managing offenders and supporting victims, and we will continue to work closely together in tackling them.

I appreciated hearing of all that has been achieved across the various work streams under the IGA and the extensive work that continues to take place. New initiatives for the coming year were also presented and Minister Long and I were happy to support these plans.

The Joint Agency Task Force continues to operate in a number of strategic priority areas and has been hugely successful in countering traditional and emerging forms of cross-border crime. The Task Force is an excellent example of the strong cross border policing cooperation that exists, both operationally and strategically, and I appreciate hearing directly from An Garda Síochána and the PSNI on the most recent operations. 

The challenges and issues facing future cross border co-operation in the context of the exit of the UK from the European Union were also discussed and progress on the contingencies that have been prepared. The Ministers also focused on the work that is ongoing in both their Departments on foot of the O’Malley Report which reviewed the Protections for Vulnerable Witnesses in the Investigation and Prosecution of Sexual Offences and the Gillen Review Report into the law and procedures in serious sexual offences in Northern Ireland. Minister McEntee said,

Providing support for victims of sexual violence and abuse is a priority for me as Minister for Justice, and this Government is committed to implementing the recommendations set out in the recently published plan, ‘Supporting a Victims Journey - A plan to help victims and vulnerable witnesses in sexual violence cases’. The plan includes a comprehensive set of measures needed to protect vulnerable witnesses during the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences. Northern Ireland is in a similar process on foot of the Gillen Report.

At the IGA we heard of the learnings both jurisdictions can take from each other in this area, and the opportunities that exist. We face similar challenges in achieving the ultimate goal of a victim-centred approach and I look forward to progressing this work.

 

Minister Long said,

The successful co-operation between our respective law enforcement agencies and the excellent engagement between our other criminal justice agencies have undoubtedly been, and will continue to be, important drivers in maintaining peace on this island, and I am committed to maintaining, and indeed strengthening, the excellent criminal justice co-operation with Ireland.

The IGA is a great example of how an effective and dynamic partnership approach can work, bringing together complementary strands of work to enhance cross-border cooperation in criminal justice and policing.

 

Ahead of the IGA meeting, Ministers McEntee and Long attended the 11th Annual Public Protection Seminar, organised by the Public Protection Advisory Group (PPAG) of the IGA. It was also held in virtual format, and hosted by the Probation Service of Ireland.

 

The PPAG was established in 2006, with representatives of the police, probation and prison services and members of both Departments of Justice. The group was established to address how increased cross-border criminal justice co-operation could be taken forward, with a specific emphasis on offender management and probation matters.

 

The seventeenth edition of the Irish Probation Journal was launched during the Seminar. The Journal has been jointly published each year since 2004, by the Irish Probation Service and the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) and plays an important role in stimulating innovative thinking, providing a forum for debate and dialogue and promoting the sharing of good practice.

 

Speaking at the seminar, Minister McEntee said,

The theme of this year’s seminar ‘Emerging Needs North and South- Developing Criminal Justice Practice’ has again provided an opportunity for the various criminal justice agencies to discuss and further explore innovative approaches and solutions to common problems and in doing so contribute to making our communities safer by reducing crime and addressing offending behaviour.

This Seminar is just one example of the strong and ongoing cooperation that exists across many fields in the criminal justice sector and is facilitated by the IGA.

 

Minister Long commented,

It is under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Agreement Working Group, that the Public Protection Advisory Group (PPAG) was formed to provide a formal structure for the engagement of the Probation Board and the Probation Service and to strengthen connections with  other important stakeholders in the Criminal Justice System. 

I really welcome the forum that PPAG provides for the vital collaborative work on public protection initiatives that take place across agencies, and across borders. The very nature of public protection is such, that on this island, it is at its most effective where we have strong cross border partnerships.