Vol. 541 No. 2
941 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the directions the Garda Commissioner has given to gardaí to deal with situations such as the many alleged instances of extortion of money with menaces by illegal trespassers; and if he will ensure that any protection necessary is given to the subjects of such threats to ensure that attempts at extortion are unsuccessful. [22351/01]
I am assured by the Garda authorities that breaches of the criminal law associated with illegal encampments are fully and comprehensively investigated by the Garda Síochána. In this regard, section 18 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994, provides for the offence of demanding money with menaces. An allegation that such an offence may have occurred should be reported immediately to the Garda Síochána for investigation, with a view to a criminal prosecution. The Garda authorities are already well aware of their responsibilities with respect to the vindication of a person's safety and security.
