An Oireachtas committee of cross-party TDs and Senators has called for the introduction of new protocols to allow Garda and PSNI officers to enter each other’s jurisdictions when actively pursuing suspects.
The recommendation was among several proposals compiled in a report on developing an all-island economy, which was drawn up by Dublin’s Oireachtas joint committee on jobs, enterprise and innovation.
Sinn Fein TD Peadar Tobin, the rapporteur for the committee, said the move would help combat the cross-border black market.
“The idea that criminals can pass the border without a second thought, yet the PSNI or the Garda must stop at that invisible line in pursuance of the criminal is completely illogical,” he said.
The committee has also recommended that a single economic agency for the island of Ireland be established, bringing together investment agencies the IDA, Invest NI and InterTradeIreland.
Among other recommendations included in the report is the elimination of north/south roaming charges by mobile phone operators; joint economic planning between Dublin and Stormont; the axing of transaction costs for banking, telecoms, and administration on cross border trade and the creation of a new border region economic zone, with investment in roads and broadband.
Sinn Féin MLA Conor Murphy welcomed the report saying it highlights what his party has always said – that an all-Ireland economy is in the best interests of everyone north and south.
“It makes no sense on a small island to have separate tax regimes, legal systems, economic agencies and investment policies. Instead of having competing economic systems and strategies, harmonising policies on an all-Ireland basis is essential for creating a successful economy,” he said.
“This report from the Oireachtas committee provides a roadmap to creating an island-wide economy which would benefit everyone. I welcome its proposals for a single economic agency for Ireland north and south as well as creating an integrated approach to investment and economic policy. Its proposals to establish a border development zone and upgrade infrastructure across the island will also advance the growth and development of the all-Ireland economy,” he added.