Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will give Senator Conway-Walsh an update on where we are with this recommendation, which is recommendation No. 26. This requires An Garda Síochána to determine, before the end of the second quarter of this year, whether there is a mechanism for further co-operation with the insurance industry around fraud investigation. This is being done with the agreement of the Garda Commissioner and the Garda national economic crime bureau, GNECB, within An Garda Síochána.

They have engaged with Insurance Ireland with a view to examining a proposal that Insurance Ireland will provide funding to set up a dedicated investigative unit within the GNECB to focus exclusively on investigations of insurance fraud. They have visited a similar unit in the UK to assess whether it is a viable option for An Garda Síochána. This happens successfully in the UK. If it is deemed possible from an operational perspective to establish such a unit, a proposal will be submitted to An Garda Síochána for consideration. The Department of Justice and Equality will then be consulted and consider the broader issues arising before making a decision on the matter. The current position is that the GNECB has provided Insurance Ireland with estimated costs associated with the establishment of such a dedicated unit and this estimate will be brought before that body's non-life council meeting in June for decision as to whether it will be submitted to the Garda Commissioner for consideration. That is the update. This decision will not be made by me but we are still working through whether there is an actual recommendation that can be made to the Minister for Justice and Equality.