Gardaí joining intelligence network of 30 European states 'will be a game-changer'

SIS II (Schengen Information System) allows gardaí get instant alerts from police in 30 European states, and upload information about their own investigations, such as missing persons cases, crime, and terror. Picture: Dan Linehan

Gardaí and border officials will now receive instant alerts from 30 European states for wanted or suspected criminals and terrorists coming into the country.

Ireland is the latest country to join the Schengen Information System, which also provides alerts on missing children and adults as well as stolen property.

Helen McEntee, the justice minister, described Ireland’s accession as a “game-changer” in tackling cross-border crime, though Britain has forfeited its access to the system as a result of its withdrawal from the EU.

Real-time police data

Schengen is described as the largest internal security and external border-management database in Europe and at the end of 2020 contained 93m alerts.

Helen McEntee, the justice minister, said 'An Garda Síochána and my department have been working towards this since 2016', while Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said the benefits of SIS II cannot be overstated. File Picture: Leon Farrell/Rollingnews.ie

As well as receiving real-time information from other EU states as well as Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein, gardaí will now be able to put information about wanted criminals, missing people, and stolen vehicles onto Schengen.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said gardaí have been working for "some time" to join the system and said its benefits cannot be overstated.

“Having access to the SIS II databases which contain law enforcement data from across 30 EU and associated Schengen countries, gives An Garda Síochána and our law enforcement colleagues across Europe instant access to real-time police data and intelligence," he said.

Accessing such information means that An Garda Síochána can swiftly deal with issues of serious crime with potential links to other European countries.

Ms McEntee said: "An Garda Síochána and my department have been working towards this since 2016. Gardaí have had to build and test the complex IT infrastructure and develop the training needed to complete the connection to SIS II, and my department has drafted the enabling legislation and conducted the necessary negotiations with the EU institutions involved.” 

She added: "I am confident that this will be a game-changer for gardaí in their fight against cross-border crime.” 

International co-operation

Gardaí have integrated the Pulse and Garda National Immigration Bureau databases with SIS II, and garda members and staff of the Border Management Unit and Immigration Service (ISD) will have the ability to see SIS data on their workstations.

If the person or object is discovered in another country using SIS II (for example at a border check), a hit will be recorded on SIS II and law enforcement in that country will contact An Garda Síochána to discuss the relevant next steps.

This means all missing person records and lost or stolen objects and vehicle records created by An Garda Síochána will be immediately available to those other countries using SIS II. During 2019 alone, there were 120,000 missing person records shared on SIS II.

Instant access to data

Likewise, records in regard to all persons sought for arrest and surrender for extradition across Europe will be automatically checked each time a member of An Garda Síochána conducts a name search on the Garda Pulse system or when a member of the Immigration Service of the Department of Justice conducts a passport scan at a point of entry to Ireland.

There were over 40,000 alerts on SIS II for persons wanted for arrest at the end of 2019.