asked the Minister for Justice whether a file on a company (details supplied) in County Galway has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
775.
Written Answers. - Údarás na Gaeltachta Companies.
774.
asked the Minister for Justice if the fruad squad have completed their inquiries into Údarás na Gaeltachta companies; the number of companies under investigation; the names of the companies; when the investigations started; and the date on which they were referred to Director of Public Prosecutions.
Limerick East): I propose to take questions Nos. 774 and 775 together.
I have no function in relation to the institution or non-institution of criminal proceedings and, as a general rule, I would regard it as inappropriate and unwarranted for me to disclose information in relation to the possibility of criminal proceedings being taken against an identifiable person or company.
In this case, because certain information was public knowledge, I have already indicated to the House that the Garda completed an investigation into certain complaints and submitted a report to the law officers for a decision. That position remains unaltered. Garda inquiries into certain other complaints are continuing. It would not be appropriate for me to give details of those complaints or to say when the report already completed was submitted to the law officers who, of course, may in any particular case ask for further inquiries to be made or who may consider it necessary to await reports in relation to other cases.
I think it right to repeat also that the fact that the Garda have submitted a report to the law officers does not necessarily mean that they have formed any view as to whether the facts provide or are likely to provide grounds for criminal proceedings.
The Garda investigations commenced on 16 March 1982.