Minister Long and Minister O’Callaghan meet in Dublin to advance North-South criminal justice cooperation
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From: Department of Justice
- Published on: 28 May 2025
- Last updated on: 29 May 2025
Ministers Naomi Long MLA and Jim O’Callaghan met in Dublin today for the latest Ministerial meeting held under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters. It was the first time the two Ministers have met in this context, the last such meeting took place in April 2024.
The Ministers reviewed progress across established areas of North-South cooperation, including Youth Justice, Victims’ Support, Public Protection, Forensic Science, Criminal Justice and Social Diversity. The Ministers welcomed the continued engagement by officials and agencies on both sides of the border and reaffirmed their shared commitment to addressing cross-jurisdictional challenges collaboratively.
Following the meeting, Minister O’Callaghan said:
“It was a pleasure to host Minister Long today in Dublin. This was my first time co-chairing the Ministerial meeting of the IGA on Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters and the positive work that takes place across the island was evident.
"We had a productive meeting today. We face similar criminal justice challenges and it is in forums like these that we can work together in support of better cooperation and collaboration by our officials, agencies and policing services.”
Commenting following the meeting, Minister Long said:
“This was a valuable opportunity to meet Minister O’Callaghan and take forward our shared agenda under the Intergovernmental Agreement. The relationship between our justice departments is built on trust and practical cooperation, and I look forward to continuing that work with the Minister and his officials.”
Ministers received an overview of the Stable Lives, Safer Streets initiative — a cross-border, policy-led research partnership supported by €3.4 million in funding through the North-South Research Programme. The initiative is being delivered by the REPPP project at the University of Limerick, Queen’s University Belfast, and the Centre for Effective Services. Its aim is to provide a robust evidence base for tackling youth crime, criminal exploitation, and community safety issues across both jurisdictions. Projects under way include research on criminal exploitation of children by organised crime gangs, timely provision of services for children with complex needs and understanding what makes children vulnerable to crime.
The meeting also featured a joint presentation by senior officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Síochána on the 18th report of the Joint Agency Task Force (JATF). The 18th JATF report outlined continued success in tackling organised and cross-border crime, with significant operations targeting rural crime gangs, high-value drug seizures exceeding €20 million, and substantial financial and excise fraud interventions. The report also highlighted growing collaboration in areas such as human trafficking, immigration crime, and the use of digital technologies by criminal networks. Ministers noted the ongoing effectiveness of the Task Force in coordinating real-time enforcement activity and intelligence sharing between agencies. The Task Force, established under the 2015 Fresh Start Agreement, focuses on disrupting organised and cross-border criminal activity. Agencies involved include the PSNI, An Garda Síochána, HMRC, the Revenue Commissioners, and others such as the Criminal Assets Bureau and National Crime Agency.
Minister O’Callaghan said:
“It was insightful to hear from the academics leading the Stable Lives, Safer Streets project. Their collaboration will create an all-island Research Hub in Youth Justice which will be a superb resource in creating evidence-informed policy across the island and successfully translating that into practice.
"I commend the work of the Joint Agency Task Force which continues to be successful in targeting criminals who seek to exploit the border. The latest report from the Task Force highlights the ongoing work across a number of priority areas including rural crime, excise fraud and organised immigration crime. The Task Force is an excellent example of cross border cooperation, both on a practical day to day basis and at a strategic level, working to make our communities safer.”
Minister Long said:
“The Stable Lives, Safer Streets initiative represents a significant investment in understanding the issues that affect vulnerable young people and their communities. It is encouraging to see cross-border research being put at the centre of future policy development. This collaborative approach will help ensure that our responses to youth crime and criminal exploitation are both evidence-based and effective.
“I also welcome the 17th and 18th reports of the Joint Agency Task Force, and the commitment shown by law enforcement partners to working across borders to combat organised crime. The Task Force continues to play a vital role in identifying and disrupting criminal activity that affects communities on both sides of the border.”
Notes
- The Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters provides a structured framework for North-South collaboration on justice policy and operations.
- Areas of cooperation are taken forward by Project Advisory Groups covering Youth Justice, Victims’ Issues, Forensic Science, Public Protection, and Criminal Justice and Social Diversity.
- The Joint Agency Task Force is led by police and revenue services and brings together the relevant law enforcement agencies to better co-ordinate strategic and operational actions against cross-border organised crime. It involves senior officers from An Garda Síochána, the PSNI, the Revenue Commissioners and HM Revenue and Customs; it also includes the Criminal Assets Bureau and National Crime Agency (who have the primary role in criminal assets recovery) as well as other interested law enforcement services (such as environmental protection agencies and immigration services).
- The Stable Lives, Safer Streets research hub is jointly led by REPPP, University of Limerick; The Violence Prevention Lab, Queen’s University Belfast; and the Centre for Effective Services. It aims to support evidence-led policy and practice in youth crime prevention and community safety across both jurisdictions. It is funded by the North South Research Programme (NSRP) which is a collaborative scheme funded by the Government of Ireland through the Shared Island Fund.