Vol. 473 No. 6
69 Mr. Andrews asked the Minister for Justice the value of assets seized to date pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act, 1994; the steps, if any, which have been taken to seize assets pursuant to the legislation; the number of applications made in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2134/97]
73 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Justice the value of assets frozen to date pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act, 1994; the steps, if any, which have been taken to freeze assets pursuant to the legislation; the number of applications in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2133/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 73 together.
The Criminal Justice Act, 1994 includes a number of provisions relating to the seizure, detention, restraint, forfeiture and confiscation of assets which are the proceeds of crime. Applications have been made by the Director of Public Prosecutions to restrain assets under the Criminal Justice Act, 1994 in four cases involving a total of seven persons. The value of the cash assets involved was approximately £168,000 being cash and money held in accounts maintained at financial institutions. The value of other realisable assets which were subject to restraint orders in these cases is not readily available. In addition, two applications made by the Director of Public Prosecutions under section 38 of the 1994 Act in relation to five persons resulted in the detention of cash assets of approximately £30,000. As the Deputy will be aware, the Director of Public Prosecutions is independent in the exercise of his functions and it would be inappropriate for me to comment further on these cases.
