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Dáil
‹ Order of Business

Crime task force funding

Summary

Micheál Martin asks about funding and timing for the Dublin armed-support crime task force and prescription-drug legislation; the Taoiseach confirms €5 million for the task force and briefly discusses possible post-Brexit border arrangements.

The commitment in the programme for Government on a new dedicated armed support unit for Dublin, as serious crime requires a serious response, was made in February. The Minister has said that whatever responses are necessary, we will face down the activities of these ruthless gangs. Will new moneys be allocated in respect of the announcements made or is the funding to come from within the 2016 allocation to An Garda Síochána? When can we expect misuse of drugs legislation in respect of the issue of prescription drugs which I have raised consistently over the last two weeks? What is the timeline for the legislation to reduce the thresholds above which the Criminal Assets Bureau can intervene and take action? I think it is to go from €7,000 to €1,000. When can we expect that?

There is a commitment in the programme for Government to build on North-South co-operation for the benefit of both sides of the Border. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers, and others have given mixed messages about free movement between North and South in the event that the people of Northern Ireland and Britain vote to exit the European Union. Can the Taoiseach clarify his understanding of the implications for cross-Border controls and, ultimately, cross-Border co-operation? Does he agree that if Britain were to exit the European Union, it would have a negative impact on cross-Border economic activity?

Comment on this
Enda Kenny The Taoiseach Fine Gael

Interviews are being conducted in respect of the new task force on crime. An allocation of €5 million has been made available on foot of discussions with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the task force on crime will be up and running as soon as possible over the next couple of months.

In respect of North-South bodies, I would not like to see the return of customs points along the Border in the event that the electorate in Britain were to decide to leave the EU. However, I would not have any control over that, albeit it would be our wish not to see it happen. I listened to the managing director of a company based in Monaghan yesterday saying that much of that company's machinery moves through Britain and that this would mean extra paperwork both into Britain and exiting through Britain which would be bureaucratic, inefficient and cost time and money. Clearly, I have a difference of opinion here with the Secretary of State. If the decision is to leave, it would be our wish in the subsequent two-year negotiation, which would probably be a preliminary period, to avoid that happening. However, one does not have control over it in that the attitude of other countries in Europe towards Britain is unknown. The agreement reached at the European Council on the propositions put forward by Prime Minister David Cameron was done on a one-off basis. If the electorate in Britain decides to remain as a member state of Europe, those changes become effective immediately. If they decide to leave the European Union, we are into a complex and long series of difficult negotiations the outcome of which is uncertain. While I would like to think that we will not end up with border controls and customs points, I find it hard to see how, in that event, one could avoid having some measure of that applying. It is not something the Government would be in control of.

Comment on this

It is inevitable.

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Enda Kenny The Taoiseach Fine Gael

Exactly. We would be operating as a member state of the European Union dealing with a country that would have decided to leave.

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