Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 June 2004
69 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he plans new initiatives to combat organised crime with particular reference to drug dealing, racketeering, extortion and protection; his priorities in this regard with a view to achieving specific targets within a particular time span; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16335/04]
View answerA broad range of strong legislation is available to the Garda to enable serious and organised crime to be confronted effectively. Our criminal legislative framework reflects international developments to respond to the growth of organised crime and specific measures enacted to meet our particular domestic situation.
With regard to initiatives in this area, I draw the Deputy's attention to the criminal justice Bill which, as indicated in the Government legislative programme, I expect to publish this session. The main purpose of the Bill is to improve the efficiency with which criminal offences in general are investigated and prosecuted. In summary the measures I propose to include are a statutory power to preserve a crime scene; a general power in regard to the issue of search warrants; increased detention powers of up to 24 hours for arrestable offences; amendments to the Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence) Act 1990, in particular, to reclassify saliva as a non-intimate sample; extending the power of the prosecution to appeal in limited circumstances, particularly in regard to points of law; and general provisions, mostly of a technical nature, to improve the efficiency of the prosecution of offences; and provision on the admissibility of statements by witnesses who subsequently refuse to testify or who retract their original statements.
I also intend to bring forward proposals to Government to seek approval for the inclusion, whether on publication or on Committee Stage, of firearms control provisions in the Bill. I am also examining the issues surrounding sentencing in regard to drug trafficking offences and firearms offences and, if I consider it appropriate, I will also bring forward proposals to strengthen the law in this respect.
As the Deputy may be aware, I appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights on 9 December 2003 in regard to its work on the review of the administration of justice. I addressed in detail my proposals on legislative matters, with particular reference to the activities of criminal gangs. The joint committee is expected to publish its report on the administration of justice shortly. I look forward to examining it and I am prepared to take whatever action may be appropriate on foot of the report, including bringing forward further proposals for legislative reform, if necessary.
Another important initiative in combating organised crime is the Criminal Justice (Joint Investigation Teams) Bill, which is awaiting Report and Final Stages in the House. It is expected the legislation will be enacted in June 2004 and commenced soon thereafter. The Bill will enable effect to be given in Irish law to an agreement at European level which attempts to ensure that international boundaries are not used by criminal gangs to their advantage. The Bill will provide a framework for the creation and operation of joint investigation teams between EU member states. The teams will carry out criminal investigations with a cross border dimension in one or more of the member states setting up the team. Although the framework decision is targeted at setting up teams to combat trafficking in drugs and human beings as well as terrorism, the Bill is not confined to these offences. The net result, following implementation of the legislation, will be improved crime detection, investigation and prosecution of offences.
On an operational level, I am informed by the Garda authorities that the establishment of specialist Garda units such as the national bureau of criminal investigation, the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Garda bureau of fraud investigation and the Garda national drugs unit, operating under an assistant commissioner in charge of national support services, has also enabled the Garda to tackle organised crime effectively.
The Garda national drugs unit plays a crucially important role in the efforts to combat drug trafficking. Operations are designed to target the supply of drugs to the Irish market and the transit of drugs through Ireland. The unit co-operates with a wide range of international law enforcement agencies and provides significant levels of support to international agencies and the domestic customs service alike. The success of the unit can be gauged by the increase in the street value of drugs seizures in recent years: €45 million in 2001; €49 million in 2002; and €100 million in 2003. These seizures exceed the targets set in the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008. I am further informed by the Garda authorities that a pro-active integrated approach to the investigation of all serious and organised crime will continue to be pursued by the Garda.
