Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 27 May 1998

Vol. 491 No. 4

Written Answers. - Criminal Assets Bureau.

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

96 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has satisfied himself that the publication of information will not afford persons charged an opportunity in law to escape their liabilities as the Income Tax Acts forbid the disclosure of any details of persons who are charged under schedule D of the income tax code in regard to recent media reports regarding charges to tax on criminals by the Criminal Assets Bureau. [12450/98]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I am informed by the Garda Authorities that the Criminal Assets Bureau, as part of its statutory functions pursuant to Section 5(1)(b) of the Criminal Assets Bureau Act, 1996, is obliged to ensure that the proceeds of criminal activity or suspected criminal activity, are subjected to tax and that the Revenue Acts, where appropriate, are fully applied in relation to such proceeds.

The Criminal Assets Bureau makes assessments to tax, issues demands and applies appropriate collection remedies to a variety of taxes, including profits or gains charged under Case IV, Schedule D pursuant to section 58 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997.

In many cases the Criminal Assets Bureau has taken action in the High Court to enforce collection of tax demanded and in general these proceedings have been heard in public.

The Garda authorities have assured me that the policy of the Criminal Assets Bureau is to comply strictly with the statutory confidentiality afforded to taxpayers.

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

97 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount of tax put into charge and actually collected by the Criminal Assets Bureau; and the amount of tax recovered from heroin dealers. [12451/98]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The information requested by the Deputy, as provided in the Criminal Assets Bureau Annual Report 1996 and the Draft Annual Report 1997, is outlined hereunder:

Year	Tax Assessed	Tax Demanded	Tax Collected
1996	£3,151,892.97	£3,443,997.70	Nil
1997	£6,258,169.32	£5,210,687.57	£198,230.75

The statistics for 1998 will be available for inclusion in the 1998 annual report.

I am advised by the Garda Authorities that it is inappropriate to categorise individuals for operational reasons.