PROTECT N&S is a joint initiative between the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) and the Probation Welfare Service (PWS) in the Republic of Ireland. The project has been developed in the spirit of the Belfast Agreement and the Criminal Justice Review that highlighted the need for development of co-operation between public bodies in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

PROTECT N&S has been funded by the Special European Union Programmes Body under Priority 5 Measure 2 of the European Union Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland.

PROTECT N&S aims to contribute to community safety throughout Ireland by enhancing co-operation between the two probation services with particular emphasis on developing best practice, joint training and exchange opportunities. The project will bring together an Ireland-wide network of Probation management, staff and Criminal Justice experts who have practical experience of effective practice in securing the protection and safety of communities through the social inclusion of offenders.

PROTECT N&S has a range of targets to meet centred around the development and dissemination of best practice approaches. The project will run six specific offence-focused seminars with border teams and will run an all-Ireland conference in both 2005 and 2006. Opportunities for staff exchanges on a cross-border and international basis will be explored. Practical application will include the development of projects in border areas working with partner agencies in the wider criminal justice system. Protect N&S will also seek to develop cross-border protocols for information sharing and serve as a conduit for information searches.