Intergovernmental Agreement on Criminal Justice Co-operation

Part of Ministerial Statement – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 11:45 am on 21 June 2011.

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Photo of Conall McDevitt Conall McDevitt Social Democratic and Labour Party 11:45, 21 June 2011

I draw the Minister’s attention to the original 2002 intergovernmental agreement between the then NIO and the Department of Justice in the Republic. I note that that agreement remains largely unimplemented, and there are gaps, specifically the absence of arrangements for lateral entry between the two police services and a real conflict over pension rights for PSNI officers and garda officers seeking to transfer to the other service. Will the Minister update the House on any progress on that issue? Does he intend to prioritise it in the months ahead as an area that must be implemented, particularly now that we have lost 50:50 direct recruitment to the PSNI?