Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

From the point of view of the CAB, there are 103 criminal asset profilers in total, which are based in every Garda division in the country and operate at a local level, dealing with social welfare queries. As the Deputy knows, social welfare officials are also seconded to the CAB. Multi-agency checkpoints also operate in localities. When I was Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, I tried to instigate such measures and now that I am Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform we have again revamped them because they are very important, particularly to prevent gangs going across the country from one area to another. In that respect, multi-agency vehicle checkpoints operate in which the Garda, the Department of Social and Family Affairs and other State Departments are involved. I do not agree with the Deputy that investigations are not happening at a local level because they are and there is contact, irrespective of the CAB, between gardaí at a local level with Department of Social and Family Affairs officials on a regular basis.

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