Vol. 501 No. 6
349 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the drug money in the process of being seized in a case (details supplied) will be returned to the north inner city of Dublin and reinvested in rehabilitation projects for recovering drug users. [6794/99]
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the moneys to which the Deputy refers, are still the subject of legal procedures and processes and accordingly, I am not in a position to comment further on this particular case.
In general, moneys and other property seized in the course of drug investigations become exhibits until all legal procedures are concluded. If the court makes a confiscation order in relation to a drug trafficking offence, under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1994, the position is that, under section 22(2) of the Criminal Justice Act, 1994, money paid or recovered in respect of a confiscation order is paid into or disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer in accordance with the directions of the Minister for Finance. It would be contrary to standard public accounting procedures to transfer particular revenues to particular purposes. All revenues are taken in by the Exchequer and such allocations as are necessary are made through the normal Estimates process. Such moneys as are necessary for purposes of the kind referred to by the Deputy will be provided in the normal way through relevant Votes.
Substantial funding has been provided for approved projects in the north inner city drugs task force area, as part of the Government's national drugs strategy. Further funding is available under the auspices of the young people's facilities and services fund and, in this context, development plans are being assessed by the fund's assessment committee.
