I have obtained the approval of the Government for the drafting of legislation which will radically reform the law on fraud and dishonesty. The Criminal Justice (Fraud Offences) Bill will: create a new offence of theft to replace the existing common law offence of larceny, numerous statutory offences of larceny and the statutory offences of embezzlement, fraudulent conversion and obtaining by false pretences; create new offences to deal with dishonest behaviour not properly covered by existing legislation; create new offences of forgery to replace the existing law of 1913; create new offences of counterfeiting to replace the existing law of 1861; provide a new power for the Garda Síochána to obtain search warrants for documentary evidence of offences of fraud and dishonesty; contain provisions to enable Ireland to adopt the important EU Convention on the Protection of the European Communities' Financial Interests and three protocols to that convention; and bring together in one consolidated statute the main offences of fraud and dishonesty.
As regards corruption, I have included in my legislative programme a Prevention of Corruption Bill primarily to make any legislative changes necessary to enable Ireland to ratify the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign
Public Officials in International Business Transactions which was signed by Ireland on 17 December 1997. The opportunity may also be taken in that Bill to provide for the ratification of the EU convention on corruption involving officials of the EU or member states of the EU. This latter convention is due to be ratified by member states before the end of 1999.
I am currently carrying out an examination of the existing laws on corruption — which are very widely cast — to determine what changes, if any, are required to enable Ireland to become a party to the OECD convention. This examination will also encompass the EU convention. I hope to conclude this examination shortly and any legislative proposals arising therefrom will be announced in the usual way.