Cross-border co-operation on criminal justice matters is to be enhanced, after a joint meeting this morning.

At a virtual meeting (3 February), the north’s justice minister Naomi Long and the Republic’s Minister for Justice Helen McEntee heard from both An Garda Siochana and the PSNI about the cross-border joint agency task force.

The ministers were briefed on co-operation in:

• Tackling rural crime,
• Drugs,
• Financial crime,
• Trafficking in human beings including children,
• Excise fraud, and,
• Organised immigration crime.

A deal agreed by ministers will continue work under the Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters (IGA), signed by the two governments in 2005. 

Minister Naomi Long said: “Cross-border co-operation on justice matters is vital to both of our jurisdictions.”

Good practice

She said that the IGA contributes greatly to ensuring promote good practice.

Mrs McEntee added: “It is clear from today’s meeting that excellent cross border cooperation is taking place in a range of criminal justice areas via the IGA and the collaborative north-south relationship is now strongly embedded in many of the areas of cooperation 

“Much practical cooperation takes place, along with valuable learning and information sharing. Supporting victims, tackling hate crime, collaborative work in forensics, the management of high-risk offenders, and early intervention strategies to combat youth offending are just some of the areas of cooperation.”