Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 April 2018
598. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the full extent of the scale and value of assets seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, in the past five years; if all such properties have been disposed of and the proceeds retained by the State; the status of such properties not yet disposed of in this context; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16706/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will know, the objectives and functions of the Criminal Assets Bureau are set out in sections 4 and 5 respectively of the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996. In summary, they require the Bureau to:
(i) identify and investigate the proceeds of criminal conduct;
(ii) take action under the Proceeds of Crime Acts 1996-2016 to deny and deprive people of the benefit of assets that are the proceeds of criminal conduct by freezing, preserving and confiscating them;
(iii) take action under the Revenue Acts to ensure that the proceeds of criminal activity are subject to tax; and
(iv) investigate and determine claims for or in respect of benefits under the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 1993.
The Proceeds of Crime Acts 1996 - 2016 provide the legal framework underpinning the Bureau's powers to take all necessary actions, including the making of applications to the High Court, in relation to the seizing and securing of assets with a view to their disposal in due course in accordance with the provisions of that legislation.
With regard to the specific information sought by the Deputy, I would point out that Section 21 of the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996 requires the Bureau, through the Garda Commissioner, to provide a report of its activities each year to the Minister for Justice and Equality who is then required to lay copies of the report before each House of the Oireachtas. The Annual Reports, including the most recent one for 2016, are available in the Oireachtas Library and on the website of An Garda Síochána and my own Department. The 2017 report is currently being prepared and will be submitted to my Department in the near future. The published reports provide details of the actions taken by the Bureau under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 - 2016, including details in relation to the volume and value of assets seized and disposed of by the Bureau.
In order to mitigate any risk of harm to a property, the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate to be specific about individual properties which could be in the process of sale on behalf of the Bureau, or which have been purchased.
