Mr. John O'Driscoll:

Among the people I met this morning and discussed these issues with is Pat Lordan, who is the head of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau. It has spent much time recently engaging in media campaigns to highlight the importance of not getting involved in criminality of this nature, especially to students. Third level students have been targeted specifically to open accounts to launder money. If one is approached and it appears that a quick buck can be made, there must immediately be significant suspicion that criminality is involved. We are trying to get that message across to students. We recently had a fraud awareness week where we engaged in extensive media campaigns to advise people of the criminality involved. Personnel attached to the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau have gone on "Crimecall" and used other such mechanisms to highlight the criminality involved. There have been a number of recent prosecutions, which are another means by which people will quickly learn the implications of engaging in criminality of this nature. We particularly warn students about facilitating people to launder money. It can destroy a person's potential to gain employment or to travel abroad. It is clearly ill-advised to engage in the activity although there is a prospect of making money that so many young people of that age desperately need.