06 December 2010

All-Ireland Policing Summit For Dundalk

An island-wide policing strategy is being launched this evening with An Garda Síochána and the Police Service NI unveiling their joint Cross Border Policing Strategy document.

Ironically given last week's detection of a primed mortar bomb and four arrests - that included two men from NI - the location chosen is just a few miles from the north-south motorway in Co Louth where the suspect terrorists' car was halted.

The high-level police meeting is being held at a hotel in Dundalk, Co Louth and will see Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy join the PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott along with the Irish Republic's Minister for Justice and Law Reform Dermot Ahern and the Stormont Justice Minister David Ford.

A statement said the Strategy aims to build on existing practical and strategic co-operation, and to also identify a number of "key strands of work where both services feel that co-operation can become even stronger".

Just a week ago, Gardaí said that the dissident republican group, Oglaigh na hEireann was behind the foiled bomb attack that was aimed at a target north of the border.

The bomb - which they said was primed to be used for an attack in Northern Ireland - was seized from a car going north on the N1 in Co Louth, near Dundalk.

The discovery was part of an operation by the Special Detective Unit and officers from Louth/Meath investigating the activities of dissident republicans.

Four men, from Northern Ireland, Dundalk and Dromiskin were being questioned and later charged in relation to the investigation.

See: Mortar Bomb 'Aimed Across Irish Border'

See: NI Men Among Four Charged In Dublin

(BMcC/GK)