Probation authorities in Northern Ireland and the Republic were today urged to work together to fight the scourges of violence and drug and alcohol abuse.
Minister for State at the Department of Justice Brian Lenihan insisted that officials north and south were focusing on improving co-operation to combat crime.
He told delegates at a cross-Border conference in Dublin that sharing of best practice and using the experience other countries had gained would strengthen the fight against offenders.
"With the increasing movement of offenders across the jurisdictions and, at a time when there is much fear of crime in local communities, this has become vital," he said.
"It will be to the benefit of the public north and south that we forge links and establish joint processes that will ensure that our duty to protect our communities can be realised in the most effective way."
Delegates at the Protect North and South conference will spend the next two days discussing ways to combat crime.
One of the core aims is to consider sharing and developing best practice for the effective policing of domestic violence, alcohol and drug-dependent offending, sex offending, youth offending and dangerous offending.
Probation staff from the north and the south, criminal justice partner agencies and community representatives will focus on developing issues on mental health and criminal justice, combating car crime and the impact of crime on victims.
PA