Mr. Ben Ryan:

On a national strategy, it was indicated in the Hamilton report that it would be in the first quarter of 2022. There were delays in establishing the committee at the time. Obviously, there were a lot of draws on resources as a result of Covid and everything else, and the advisory council of the Hamilton committee was not established until later in 2022. It is the vehicle through which the strategy is going to be developed. The council is now up and running and has quarterly meetings, and had its most recent meeting yesterday.

In respect of the development of the economic crime strategy, the current phase is trying to identify the consultation exercise that is going to inform the strategy. For example, there are representatives of academia on the advisory council. We are working with them and are going to progress that aspect first to undertake the consultation exercise to inform what should be in the economic crime strategy.

It is delayed, yes, but work is being undertaken. The existence of the advisory council and the Hamilton report that led to it being established indicate progress in this area. All the key players are around the table. They are working together to try to combat these types of crimes. A national strategy has to be well informed and evidence informed. We do need to consult on it and it is important not to rush it but we are making progress.