Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour)

I congratulate the Minister on the Bill. Both he and the Bill have been the subject of criticism. I plead that the Minister would totally ignore that because those who have spoken in that regard who have been Members of the House for many years have never introduced a single paragraph of legislation to deal with the issue. No doubt the Minister wishes to leave a legacy. I hope he will be remembered as the first Minister to deal with white collar crime in this country.

Like other Members I agree with the thesis that the problem is endemic. It always has been. I do not wish to say it is part of our culture but it is part of our bad habits. We are better at doing it than those who gave us our independence 90 years ago.

When people talk about white collar crime, I always think of the great American song-writer, Woody Guthrie, who wrote in one of his songs: "Some [men] will rob you with a six-gun, and some with a fountain pen". We know from recent events in this small country that the men with the fountain pens have done a great deal more damage than those with six-guns. I do not have time for those with six-guns but I do wish to indicate the scale of the wrong done. It is estimated in the USA that for every $1 of social welfare fraud, there is $17 of white collar crime. I do not know the statistics here, but we may exceed that given some of the practices we have endured.

People from various sides have said they look forward to the day when those found guilty of white collar crime will be served with community service orders etc. I disagree, as I consider community service orders too good for people who have done the damage these people have done. There is no comparison between community service orders to gather litter from the streets for the architects of this downfall and community service orders for someone who has broken a shop window because of taking too much beer. That is not a fair analogy. There is a special place for those who have destroyed this economy and country.

In recent weeks we celebrated the visits of a Queen and a President to this country. The Minister will be next in line to be celebrated when people see on television people who have been involved in white collar crime being led into Mountjoy in handcuffs. We will then celebrate a Queen, a President and the Minister for Justice and Equality. I look forward to that and look forward to seeing on television those criminals in their white collars march into Mountjoy in handcuffs.

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