Press release
Minister McEntee attends Annual Cross Border Conference on Organised Crime
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Minister for Justice Helen McEntee today attended the annual Cross Border Conference on Organised Crime, which was also attended by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and the Chief Constable of the PSNI, Jon Boutcher.
The conference aims to develop the existing strong ties between law enforcement agencies North and South of the border as they tackle organised crime. It also provides an opportunity for all involved to discuss the changing criminal landscape and develop a shared understanding of the threats.
Speaking on the second day of the conference, held at the Farnham Estate in Co. Cavan, the Minister thanked delegates for their commitment to working collaboratively to keep communities safe.
Speaking ahead of the Conference, Minister McEntee said:
“North-South cooperation in policing and criminal justice is a significant priority for the Irish Government. Crime of course does not respect borders and it is essential that we continue to broaden and deepen the relationships to help us prevent this criminal activity.
"An Garda Síochána, the PSNI, and the various agencies represented around the table today, have built excellent working relationships and strong levels of cooperation over many years. This conference is a valuable opportunity to exchange learnings and devise shared solutions to shared challenges, to tackle serious crime and improve community safety north and south.
"Joint action continues to produce successful outcomes on an operational level and it sends a strong message to criminals that they will not evade justice.”
The overall theme of this year’s conference is “Current Trends and Emerging Risks”. Presentations will be delivered on topics including Transnational Crime and its impact in an Irish context; Human Trafficking and Immigration and emerging drug trends on the island of Ireland.
The Minister also addressed the work being done to protect the common travel area. The Minister said:
“Having no physical border controls on the land border between Ireland and Northern Ireland was a key priority for the government during Brexit negotiations but this does not mean that we can’t work together to disrupt any abuse of the Common Travel Area.
"It is a priority for the government and the UK Government to ensure that the CTA is not abused by those not entitled to avail of it. There are a number of ongoing joint operations tackling these abuses by identifying illegal secondary movement patterns within the CTA and taking actions to disrupt such abuse."
The Minister also commented on the positive work of the Joint Agency Task Force:
“The ongoing collaboration through the Joint Agency Task Force is helping to disrupt criminals who seek to exploit the border and undermine the safety of communities north and south. Through cooperation and operational activity, the Joint Agency Taskforce is producing results, keeping our communities safe in the process and sending a strong message to criminals. The Task Force is doing this in really practical, visible ways through customs seizures, identifying victims of human trafficking and joint days of action against organised crime groups.”
The Minister concluded by saying:
“Organised crime does not stand still and is constantly evolving. So it’s vital that our laws and law enforcement keep pace with new developments and increase their understanding of how criminals seek to exploit new technologies for their own gain.”
The Annual Cross Border Conference on Organised Crime is taking place on 27 and 28 February 2024 at Farnham Estate, Co. Cavan.
The Conference includes keynote addresses by Minister McEntee, the Garda Commissioner and the Chief Constable of the PSNI.
The Conference aims to enhance cooperation between law enforcement agencies north and south of the border, particularly in relation to cross border organised criminality.
It provides an opportunity to assess and address changing trends in organised crime and to build upon the operational actions already being undertaken.
The Joint Agency Task Force was established under the 2015 Fresh Start Agreement to bring a concerted and enhanced effort to tackle cross-jurisdictional organised crime. The Task Force is led by senior officers from An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
The Intergovernmental Agreement on Criminal Justice Co-operation provides a formal structure for both Ministers to discuss criminal justice matters of mutual interest in the two jurisdictions, and consider opportunities to develop even more effective co-operation.