Government urged to speed up Garda/PSNI links
The Government has been urged to speedily set up procedures to allow the passage of senior members of the Republic’s police force into the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
A senior delegation from the nationalist SDLP met Justice Minister Michael McDowell in Dublin to present a new document to his office and to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Party chairman Alex Attwood and Justice Spokesman Alban Maginness said the proposals were “wide-ranging” and outlined major proposals to develop all-Ireland integration and co-operation on legal, policing and rights issues.
“A document was presented to the Minister which detailed strong proposals for future PSNI/Garda co-operation, secondments and exchanges,” Mr Attwood said.
“Following Patten, radical breakthroughs in PSNI/Garda co-operation are being worked up, including the entry of Gardai officers into the PSNI and long-term exchange and secondments between the two police services.
“The SDLP urged the Irish government to table legislation in the Dail within days or weeks to enable gardai officers to enter the PSNI with full constabulary power and that Gardai officers should be identified to be available to the PSNI under secondments or long-term exchanges.
“These methods can usefully build up the expertise and availability of experienced officers in the PSNI at a time when there is a deficit in qualified PSNI officers in certain areas,” he added.
Party Justice spokesman Alban Maginness also outlined a number of all-Ireland law and justice proposals during the meeting.
He said: “The SDLP proposed the quick development of an all-Ireland Charter of Rights, to upgrade rights protection throughout the island.
Mr Maginness said there was also a need for an all-Ireland Law Reform Commission which could harmonise current policy and deliver new laws to best serve the common interests of the people of Ireland.
“In areas from the environment to public safety, from health to agriculture, there are vast opportunities to harmonise and integrate the legal system on the island benefiting all and threatening none,” he said.
