Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
799. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Justice how many years a residential property seized by CAB is left vacant; and his views on whether property seized for more than two years should be given to the local authority. [35774/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is a multi-agency statutory body established under the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996. The Bureau’s remit is to target a person's assets, wherever situated, which derive, or are suspected to derive, directly or indirectly, from criminal conduct. Since its inception, the Bureau has been at the forefront of fighting organised crime in this jurisdiction and disrupting the activities of criminal gangs by depriving them of ill-gotten assets.
The Bureau has staff drawn from An Garda Síochána, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners (including Customs), the Department of Social Protection and my Department.
I am advised that all monies seized by CAB are remitted to the Central Fund of the Exchequer after the appropriate statutory time frame under the Proceeds of Crime Acts 1996 to 2016 (currently seven years must elapse from date of seizure to remittance to the Exchequer). Therefore, assets (including property) seized in a given year are not remitted to the Exchequer in that year.
Additionally, the Proceeds of Crime Acts do not provide a fixed length of time in which a property is to remain unoccupied, however, this can be adversely affected by a number of factors including;
• appeals in the court process;
• the terms of the order appointing a receiver;
• lack of interest of people in the property arising from its condition or former owners.
The Bureau has advised that the order appointing the receiver will usually require the property to be sold on the open market. However, in the event that the terms provide discretion to the receiver/CAB in the sale, the Local Authority and/or the Land Development Agency will be given first refusal.
Separately the Deputy may be aware of the Community Safety Innovation Fund, which I established in April 2021 allows proceeds of crime to be directed into community projects to support community safety. The fund was allocated €2 million under Budget 2022.
The funding was increased to €3 million for 2023, with the call for applications to the 2023 fund closing in May. Applications for the 2023 fund are currently being considered by officials in my Department and I look forward to seeing the projects that will emerge from this new round of funding.
The Community Safety Innovation Fund reflects the successes of An Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau in identifying and seizing the ill-gotten gains of criminals. Equally, people across Ireland are working tirelessly in their communities to prevent crime from taking hold and make their local areas safer. The Fund seeks to recognise both objectives.
