Press release
Minister McEntee welcomes EU approval for Ireland’s connection to Schengen Information System (SIS II)
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Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has today welcomed the recent decision by the EU Council to approve Ireland’s connection to the Schengen Information System (SIS II).
The Schengen Information System is the largest and most widely used IT system for public security in Europe, with 30 countries participating. The system enables law enforcement agencies to share and check data on wanted persons, missing persons, persons who may not have the right to enter or stay in the EU, and objects/vehicles that may have been stolen, misappropriated, or lost.
Minister McEntee said:
"Connecting to SIS is a game-changer for Gardaí in their investigation of cross border crime. The system will support much greater real-time police co-operation with our EU law enforcement colleagues and further build on Ireland’s ability to tackle serious crime.
"An Garda Síochána has been working towards this since 2016, with very significant financial support from Government, to build and test the complex IT infrastructure and develop the training needed to complete the connection to SIS II. This project has long been a priority for my department which has drafted the enabling legislation and conducted the necessary negotiations with the EU institutions involved - keeping the focus on driving this work forward.
"I thank everyone involved in this project and I am very pleased that Ireland will now be moving to connection to the system in 2021."
When live in Ireland, SIS II will allow the automated, simultaneous, and immediate exchange of information across all other countries using SIS II. Garda members add data to SIS II in the form of alerts.
An alert contains three elements:
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. In this way, all missing person records and lost or stolen object 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.
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. Automated and integrated SIS II searches will assist in locating any of these people who may be in this country.
Speaking today, Deputy Commissioner, Policing and Security, John Twomey said:
"An Garda Síochána welcomes the EU Council’s decision. We have been building our organisational capacity in terms of our systems and people for some time to ensure we can harness the full benefits of this system in keeping people safe.
"SIS II is the largest information system for public security in Europe. It will allow An Garda Síochána to share and receive information and alerts relating to persons, such as missing persons or those wanted on European Arrest Warrants, and objects such as stolen vehicles, as well as other categories of information from 30 law enforcement agencies across Europe.
"SIS II is already well established across Europe. Its use here will give An Garda Síochána immediate access to significant amounts of data that will be a major aid to us in preventing and detecting crime. Ultimately, it will bring enhanced security to the people of this island."
An Garda Síochána has integrated the PULSE and Garda National Immigration Bureau databases with SIS II, and members of An Garda Síochána and staff of the Border Management Unit and Immigration Service (ISD) will have the ability to see SIS data on their workstations.
When connected, the new SIRENE Bureau (Supplementary Information Request at the National Entries) within An Garda Síochána will be responsible for the daily management of the SIS system, which will operate on a 24/7 basis to ensure a timely response to alerts.
The changes are due to come into effect from 15 March 2021.
ENDS
Ireland is not a member of the Schengen common travel area but takes part in some policing co-operation arrangements which are part of the Schengen Agreement and will be able to provide and receive data under SIS II from 15 March 2021. From go-live in March 2021, for example, all missing persons, persons in respect of whom an EAW exists, and certain categories of identifiable objects will be subject to a SIS II alert and shared on the SIS II database.
There are currently 30 countries connected to SIS – 26 EU member states and 4 associated Schengen countries (Switzerland, Norway, Lichtenstein, and Iceland).
SIS II replaced the old SIS I with state of the art technology, operating on a network with greatly enhanced levels of encryption and security, and containing many important new functionalities over its predecessor. SIS II allows for an easy exchange of information between national border control authorities, customs and police authorities on persons who may have been involved in a serious crime. It also contains alerts on missing persons, in particular children, as well as information on certain property, such as banknotes, cars, vans, firearms and identity documents that may have been stolen, misappropriated or lost.
Two foreign fighters from the Netherlands were detected and checked in Austria thanks to a specific check alert in SIS. After receiving information about the hit from Austria, the Dutch prosecutor issued a European Arrest Warrant for both persons. The two suspects could be arrested quickly in Germany following a check on their vehicle for which a SIS alert was issued as well.
During a random check on a car with a German licence plate, a 3-year old girl missing in Germany was found by the Czech Police on a motor way service area whilst being driven in the direction of Prague. When checking the passengers' travel documents in SIS, it transpired that the child was in fact subject to a German Court order restricting her movements to German territory and who was actually being searched for by the German Police. The two adults were declaring to be the grandparents of the child but were not in a position to prove such a relationship. The child was therefore temporarily placed in secure accommodation. Following the communications between the Czech and German Police, she was eventually in the care of the German competent authorities.
A 17-year old Russian citizen was reported missing in Austria. Further to the entry of a missing person alert in SIS, the border guards in Hungary found her in a car heading to Romania with three Romanian citizens. The Hungarian authorities placed her under protection and arrested the abductors.