Minister for Justice says Garda will consider deploying officers in Europe

Ireland may consider deploying extra gardaí to European countries such as Spain and the Netherlands in a bid to crack down on Irish criminals operating from the continent, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has said.

Speaking in Luxembourg following a meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers yesterday, the Minister said the deployment of extra officers would be an operational decision for An Garda Síochána.

Ms Fitzgerald said the deployment of extra personnel would likely be in the context of a specific taskforce or operation and for a temporary period of time.

Currently one garda is deployed in Madrid and one in The Hague. In addition, a number of gardaí are seconded to Europol, which is headquartered in The Hague.

Stepped-up

Ms Fitzgerald yesterday held bilateral meetings with her British, Dutch and Belgian counterparts in an effort to step up co-operation between Irish and international intelligence services.

She is due to meet the Spanish justice minister today on the margins of the two-day meeting.

"What we're discussing is further co-operation," she said. "We're investigating all countries where people are involved in organised crime and who have Irish connections – Holland, Belgium and Spain in particular.

“In the particular context of the recent murders in Dublin, we will see if there are elements of international co-operation that would enhance the operation. It’s about engaging at a political level,” she said.

The recent spate of gangland killings in Dublin’s north inner city has turned the spotlight on the international dimension of Ireland’s criminal underworld.

Internet criminals

At yesterday’s justice and home affairs meeting, ministers from across

Europe

backed new proposals for improving co-operation in tackling the use of the internet and social media by criminals.

These include a commitment to engage with internet service providers to access user data.

The issue of accessing personal data to monitor possible crime and terrorist acts is controversial in many EU member states.

New passenger name records legislation, which obliges airlines to share passenger name information with national authorities, was finally passed this year by the European Parliament, amid strong resistance from some MEPs.