Vol. 567 No. 7
223 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the procedure to be followed in situations when false banknotes are passed off to innocent members of the public; if compensation is available in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15147/03]
Members of the public who find that they have been passed counterfeit banknotes should immediately report the matter to their local Garda station. The local gardaí will, in turn, contact the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, which is the central reception point for such reports. As the Deputy will be aware, Part 5 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 updated the previous legislation in respect of counterfeit currency. No compensation from the State is available to persons who innocently receive counterfeit currency.
