Vol. 515 No. 6
12 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the noticeable increase, if any, in organised crime in recent times; if the degree of violence and reprisals has increased under this heading in the past 12 months; the action, if any, he will take to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6801/00]
The statistics compiled for the annual reports of the Garda Síochána do not give a breakdown of offences committed by what are regarded as organised criminal groups. However, I do not accept that there has been an increase in organised crime in recent times – for example, in relation to one area sometimes associated with organised criminals, the number of armed robberies decreased by more than 20% between 1995 and 1999.
In the past few years there has been a major crackdown on organised crime. Legislation specifically designed to target organised crime has been introduced, namely, the Proceeds of Crime Act, 1996, which I introduced while in Opposition; the Criminal Assets Bureau Act, 1996; the Disclosure of Certain Information for Taxation and other Purposes Act, 1996; the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996; and the Criminal Justice Act, 1999, which I introduced in the House.
Specialised Garda units such as the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Garda national drugs unit, the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation have been established, again to combat organised crime.
The successes of these units are well documented and it would be useful to refer briefly to them. Since its statutory inception in October 1996 and up to 31 December 1999, the bureau has obtained section 2 interim orders on property to a total value of over £7.6 million and section 3 interlocutory orders on property to a total value of £5.4 million, under the Proceeds of Crime Act, 1996. During the same period the bureau demanded almost £33 million in the payment of tax and interest from persons suspected of involvement in criminal activity and social welfare determinations, and savings amounted to over £1.5 million.
In 1998 and 1999 seizures of illicit drugs amounted to an estimated street value of over £120 million and the money laundering investigation unit of the Garda Síochána received over 2,500 suspicious transaction reports with a value of over £200 million. These measures have been recognised as a major step forward in the fight against organised crime and have resulted in the dismantling of major organised crime gangs and a high percentage of persons have been prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to prison.
With regard to the issue of violence and reprisals, the Deputy is well aware that the use of violence and intimidation by criminals is not a new phenomenon and in cases where the victims are also involved in crime, there can be major difficulties investigating the crime. I already referred to the legislation introduced in recent years to combat organised crime and the establishment of specialised Garda units. In addition, I introduced a witness security programme which has been successful.
Our legislation is among the most effective in Europe in combating organised crime and this is well recognised by our EU partners. However, I do not say there is complacency on my behalf. In this context I constantly evaluate our response to organised crime and I assure the Deputy that the necessary steps will be taken to deal with this situation.
Additional Information
I have spoken to the Garda Commissioner in regard to recent violent incidents and he has informed me that the necessary resources have been directed towards these areas of criminal activity and that a continued proactive and integrated approach is taken by the Garda in the investigation of cases where there is a suspicion of the involvement of organised criminals. He has assured me that no effort will be spared to solve these crimes and bring to justice those involved.
Does the Minister accept that in recent times there has been an increase in the number of gangland murders and that this closely mirrors the period prior to the murder of Veronica Guerin when there was a similarly regular list of such murders? Does he further accept that in most, if not all, of these cases charges have not been brought, the Garda does not appear to be on top of them and those who are involved will begin to believe they are immune, which will inevitably lead to further murders of those who threaten them? Does he agree that even a casual observer of the crime scene in Dublin will be aware of gangland murders occurring on an increasingly regular basis and this is a serious matter? Will he indicate what action he has taken in conjunction with the Garda Commissioner to deal with this?
There have been ten murders this year but it is not correct to state that the Garda has not been successful in dealing with them. My understanding is that there have been six detections, which is a good record and it is early days. With regard to the issue of gangland killings and organised crime, the Deputy will appreciate that it is extremely difficult to identify whether a specific killing arises from organised criminal activity, but there is no doubt there has been some evidence, as he pointed out, that people who are involved in crime, or at least known to the Garda, have been victims.
I spoke to the Garda Commissioner recently in regard to this matter and he has informed me that the necessary resources have been directed towards these areas of criminal activity and that a continued proactive approach is taken by the Garda in the investigation of cases where there is a suspicion of the involvement of organised criminals. He has assured me that no effort will be spared to solve these crimes and to bring those involved to justice. I assure the Deputy of my unwavering commitment to dealing with the twin problems of drugs and organised crime and I constantly evaluate our response to them.
(Mayo): The Garda Commissioner recently acknowledged on RTE radio that there were 11 gangland killings last year, most of which occurred in Dublin, and there have been three so far this year – the two teenagers who were found in the canal and a man in Finglas two weeks ago.
With regard to a proactive strategy, is the Minister talking about making swoops on people? The Garda knows who these people are, where they live and that they have guns. There should be pre-emptive strikes against those involved in organised crime, similar to those carried out against drug dealers, etc., rather than us patting ourselves on the back because a number of people have been arrested or charged. These people should be hit hard and early at source.
I simply do not accept that organised crime gangs are acting with impunity or that existing policies are not working. I briefly outlined the Garda's success in the fight against organised crime, its record on drug seizures and so on and the success of the Criminal Assets Bureau in earlier questions. Special units in the Garda, such as the CAB, the Garda national drugs unit, the Garda bureau of fraud investigation and the national bureau of criminal investigation, have had a major impact on the operations of these gangs. In addition, other investigative teams used by the Garda are achieving considerable results. The success of the team based at Lucan Garda station which has tracked the killers of Veronica Guerin is a prime example of the impact of our law enforcement measures on the operation of criminal gangs.
