asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if any investigation has been carried out by his Department following the conviction of an employee of a meat company in the Dublin Circuit Court on charges of defrauding the Department; if any sanctions have been taken against the employee's firm; if any action will be taken to ensure that the Department will not be defrauded of public money in this way; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fraud Case.
5.
Before the Dublin Circuit Court case mentioned in the Deputy's question came to hearing, a full investigation was carried out by my Department and by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. Arising from that investigation no export refund payments were made to the company concerned on foot of the exports in relation to which its employee was subsequently convicted of uttering forged documents.
The Deputy can be assured that where irregularities or other breaches of regulations involving fraudulent claims on national or EC funds are discovered by my Department, no effort will be spared to secure convictions in the courts of the companies and/or individuals responsible for such frauds and to recover any sums that may have been wrongfully obtained.
Could the Minister say why no court action was taken against the company, in view of the fact that the employee concerned stated to the court that had grants been received they would have been of no personal benefit to him but would have gone to the company? In view of that statement, would the Minister not consider that the company were specifically involved and should have been charged in connection with the offence?
The Deputy will appreciate that decisions as to the initiation of court proceedings and the conduct of them are not a matter for my Department. My Department supply information as a consequence of information that comes to them from their investigations. I am very satisfied that those investigations by my Department were conducted diligently and the information was supplied to the appropriate authorities. I hope the Deputy can understand that it is not a function of my Department to decide as to who is prosecuted or in what fashion.
I accept that. Can the Minister assure us that this case was not the tip of the iceberg and that he is satisfied that such fraud is not taking place on a wide scale? Can the investigations of the Department not be extended to South Africa to uncover whether there was collusion between individuals or authorities in South Africa and companies here in connection with this fraud?
Because of the circumstances of the investigation by my Department, information emerged which eventually meant that no moneys were paid, that no refunds were made available. That is the primary consideration of the Department and myself. I have no evidence of any kind in relation to collaboration. In view of the importance of this whole area to which the Deputy has drawn attention, in terms of the amount of export refunds, it is my determination and that of my Department to ensure that nothing will be put at risk. Last year, for instance, the total amount of our export refunds in relation to trade with third countries was of the order of £315 million. Similarly, in relation to payment under the European Guidance and Guarantee Funds it was of the order of £245 million.
The indications are this year that those figures will be increased and, because of the importance of those figures to this economy, I want to assure the Deputy and the House that the European Commission need have no doubts about our diligence and determination to protect that allocation in the interests of the economy. I assure the House further that the European Commission have no such doubts. They are perfectly satisfied with the Government's approach to this matter.
Will the Minister confirm that equal diligence will be displayed by him and his Department in connection with any such allegations applying to any individual or company involved in the meat or cattle business in this country?
I do not know what the Deputy is particularly referring to. It will be fairly clear that there is a consistency in my approach and that of my colleagues in the Department. There are other matters arising our of questions, but I am not quite sure what the Deputy is referring to.
We will hold the Minister to that.