Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 February 2006
314 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the measures which are in place to ensure that taxi dispatch companies are legally compliant and could not be used for money laundering purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7782/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is understood from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform that the main provisions in Irish law relating to Money Laundering are set out in section 31 of the Criminal Justice Act 1994 — as amended by section 21 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 — sections 32 and 57 of the Criminal Justice Act 1994 and section 23 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.
The Act allows for the designation of certain bodies and persons for anti-money laundering purposes and for the prescribing of certain activities for the purposes of anti-money laundering. The Act also requires designated bodies to adopt measures to prevent and detect the commission of a money laundering offence, including the establishment of internal procedures, circulation of instructions to, and appropriate training of employees, directors and officers. A money laundering steering committee established under the chairmanship of the Department of Finance oversees this aspect of the legislation.
While taxi dispatch companies are not designated bodies under the 1994 Act, any financial institution offering services to such a company must report to the financial intelligence unit of the Garda Síochána and to the Revenue Commissioners any suspicion of money laundering in the course of a transaction or an attempted transaction.
In addition to the powers available in relation to money laundering under the 1994 Act, the Criminal Assets Bureau also has extensive powers under the Proceeds of Crime Acts 1996 to 2005 to target the proceeds of criminal activity no matter how such proceeds have been used.
