Minister quizzed on immigration, roads deaths, and new bill

The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has praised the ongoing collaborative work taking place between police forces both sides of the border, but indicated more could be done to prevent human trafficking and smuggling in the region.

“We’re are also looking at human trafficking and smuggling. This is a problem that maybe people don’t realise is an issue, but certainly there has been significant efforts over the years to try and identify them, to support them,” she said, speaking at the 2024 Cross Border Police Conference on Organised & Serious Crime at Cavan’s Farnham Estate last week.

Minister McEntee added that other areas of crime being examined include how criminals use “cryptocurrencies” as a way to launder or hide their accumulated wealth, as well as “looking at ways in which we can enhance our own technology to be able to respond to criminal use of technology”.

Speaking to media, the minister was also quizzed on the subject of illegal immigration.

More than 4,700 people arrived at Dublin Airport claiming asylum last year. Of those, close to 85 per cent (4,007) had no or false identity documents with them.

A Sudanese national was jailed for two months as a “deterrent” for breaking immigration laws last month by turning up at Dublin Airport without a passport, identification or travel documents.

Monir Dafaallah (30) was one of about 37 people arrested for similar offences in recent weeks as part of an ongoing Garda National Immigration Bureau operation.

A Syrian man Ramzi Maruan (31) arrested at Dublin Airport after he “lost” his passport on a flight from Luxembourg was jailed for two months. It was found he had previously turned up in Iceland and sought international protection in Bulgaria before coming here.

Minister McEntee said that the Irish Government is attempting to clampdown on such incidents, and that a “number of actions” have been put in place, including liaison officers in other countries or enhanced training with airlines. This has already had an impact, claimed the minister, who said there has already been a reduction of 30 per cent in the number of people arriving to the airport without documents.

She insisted that “every effort” is being made to prevent people coming here without documentation and to not stop those who “genuinely need support and help”.

It was put to her that some asylum seekers are travelling first to Belfast before then appearing at the international protection office in Dublin.

“I think every effort we’ve made, for the right reasons, to ensure our border remains open, but that doesn’t prevent these kinds of movements from happening. That’s always been the case and it is a matter of close cooperation. It is a matter the gardaí working with the HSE, governments working with each other, of operations being put in place.”

Minister McEntee informed media that there are active operations “underway” to try to prevent illegal cross-border immigration, and to return those who chance it “back to where they come from”.

Road deaths

She also spoke of her disappointment that the number of fatalities on Irish roads is continuing to increase, but refused to criticise garda enforcement of road traffic laws. The minister instead pointed the finger of blame at driver behaviours, in particular trends around speeding and motorists driving under the influence.

According to the minister, of the 8,000 drivers stopped by gardaí last year, 35 per cent were found to have drugs in their system.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Jack Chambers, recently called for greater enforcement of traffic laws and for road policing units to be bolstered.

As of last Wednesday, a total of 36 people had died on Irish roads this year.

“I had hoped that we would see a decrease and, unfortunately, it’s going in the opposite direction. I think we’re experiencing a very difficult patch at the moment. It often takes time to reverse trends as they start to emerge, but every effort is being made,” said Minister McEntee.

“What gardaí are doing now is that they’re looking at times of the day they need to be on the roads, roads where accidents are happening, and many of those checks are being conducted by gardaí not on the roads policing units. About 75% of drug and alcohol testing is carried out by frontline gardaí.”

The minister added that the government is investing in new technology to better assist garda detections, as well as end-to-end average speed cameras. “We know, where they are in place, there is about a 98% compliance rate. All of that has to work in collaboration with better investment in education, making people aware of the risks,” said Minister McEntee.

Finally, the Minister was asked if the Irish Government’s controversial new hate speech bill, at the third stage in the Seanad, would be enacted in the lifetime of this government.

Opponents claim new laws could affect free speech. The minister denies this, saying it contains safeguards to ensure people can still debate ideas openly and freely.

“I have every intention to enact this before the end of this term.”