MEETING WITH THE IRISH REGARDING HOMELAND SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000003

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2018
TAGS: ASEC CMGT CVIS PTER PGOV PREL EI
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH THE IRISH REGARDING HOMELAND SECURITY
PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE 6

REF: 08 STATE 101569

Classified By: PEO Chief Ted Pierce. Reasons 1.4(b/d).


1. (SBU) Summary: On December 11, a USG delegation consisting
of State Department and Terrorist Screening Center (TSC)
officials briefed Irish government officials on the Homeland
Security Presidential Directive 6 (HSPD-6) process and on
what is expected from the Irish government. The Irish were
in listening mode but had several questions, especially on
the link with continued Visa Waiver Program (VWP)
participation. The Irish side indicated they would share the
draft HSPD-6 agreement and the information gathered at the
briefing with their Attorney General's office and would
provide a response (through Post) in "a timely manner." End
Summary.


2. (SBU) Participants:

Irish Government

-- Martin Power, Department of Justice
-- Dermot Woods, Department of Justice
-- Gerry Moloney, Department of Justice
-- Tim Maher, Garda Siochana (the Irish law enforcement
agency)
-- Peter Kirwan, Garda Siochana
-- Grainne Hayes, Department of Foreign Affairs

U.S. Government

-- Diane Bean, State Department
-- Rick Kopel, TSC
-- Lyn Brown, TSC
-- Wayne Dillingham, TSC
-- Emely Simone, State Department
-- Jennifer Duval, U.S. Embassy
-- Brian Murphy, U.S. Embassy
-- Dwight Nystrom, U.S. Embassy


3. (SBU) U.S. Delegation head Diane Bean opened by giving a
broad overview and history of the program. Rick Kopel,
Principal Deputy Director of the TSC, followed with a
detailed explanation of the mechanics of the program and how
data is actually shared. Kopel stressed that the final data
sharing arrangement should be of benefit to both parties and
that his hope was to dispel any apprehension about what the
U.S. government is looking for from the Irish government.
The Irish officials were largely in listening mode but did
have several questions following the U.S. delegation's
presentation.

Irish Concerns
--------------


4. (SBU) The Irish participants were first and foremost
interested in the link between HSPD-6 and the VWP. On the
link with the VWP, Bean explained that U.S. law, among other
things, requires that all VWP countries must agree to share
data on known or suspected terrorists with the U.S.
government. Bean said that DHS has determined that entering
into an arrangement to share terrorist screening information
under the terms of HSPD-6 fulfills this requirement.


5. (C) Several participants sought clarity on the amount and
type of information that the Irish government would be asked
to provide. Kopel explained that there was not a
one-size-fits-all agreement but, rather, the terms of the
agreement will be shaped by the negotiations and by what the
Irish are legally able to provide. He noted that the Irish
will not be required to share as much data as the U.S. will,
unless they choose to. In a subsequent conversation with
Econoff, Martin Power said that the briefing was "very well
received" by his Irish colleagues and that it allayed many of
their (and his) initial concerns.

Next Steps
--------------


6. (SBU) Closing the meeting, Martin Power indicated that he
would share the information gathered at the meeting and
discuss the proposal with the Irish Attorney General's
office. Once he received feedback from that office and
coordinated with all interested Irish government agencies, he
indicated that he would contact "in a timely manner" the
U.S.'s negotiating team through the Embassy to discuss next
steps. The U.S. delegation said they hoped to be able to
begin more substantive discussions in the near future.


7. (U) The U.S. delegation has cleared on this message.
FAUCHER