merrion street

The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality Frances Fitzgerald TD today attended a meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministers in Bratislava. The focus of today’s meeting was migration and border controls.

The Tánaiste said “The position has stabilised since the political agreement was reached with Turkey at the March European Council. However
there must be no complacency. It is in all of our interests and indeed our responsibility to pursue a more long-term and sustainable strategy. As we look to reform the Common European Asylum System, we will seek the right balance in treating asylum seekers with humanity and respect whilst also ensuring that we have more efficient asylum procedures and safeguards in place".

The Tánaiste also welcomed the recent agreement with the European Parliament on the establishment of the European Border and Coast Guard which she said marks a further strengthening of the tools available to protect European external borders. As the Border and Coast Guard will only apply to the Schengen travel zone, Ireland will not participate as a full member. However, we will work closely with the new European Border and Coast Guard on practical issues such as the return of illegal migrants.

Tomorrow Commissioner Jourova will present a proposal for a revised Brussels IIa Regulation which relates to jurisdiction, recognition and enforcement of decisions in cross-border matrimonial matters and matters of parental responsibility. Cross border disputes in family matters have increased in the EU in line with the increase in the number of international families.

The Tánaiste said “Family break-ups are always a tragedy. When there are two countries involved, additional complications and legal complexities can arise. Cross Border judicial cooperation is essential for protecting the rights and the best interests of children in such cases. Children need a secure legal environment to maintain relations with both parents who may be living in different jurisdictions”.

The proposals contain new provisions to determine which Country’s court is responsible for divorce, custody and access proceedings, and to ensure that judgements issued in one country are recognised and enforced in other EU countries. It will also improve and speed up procedures to settle cross-border parental child abduction cases, limiting the number of appeals and reducing costs for the parties involved. It will also ensure that children capable of forming their own views are guaranteed an opportunity to express these in proceedings that concern them. The Tánaiste is of the view that the importance of ensuring a fast, efficient and child-centred approach to settling parental abduction cases cannot be over-estimated. She expressed the hope that the negotiations to agree these new proposals can be concluded swiftly.

Other key issues on the agenda include the encryption of data and the challenge that this presents to law enforcement in solving crimes, the proposal for a European Public Prosecutor and e-Justice.