Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I will take the questions in reverse order. There is substantial information available to the Garda on a broad range of individuals who might be engaged in criminality. I do not wish to say more than that. As to those who have not been brought before the courts on criminal prosecution, the Criminal Assets Bureau has performed a very important function in targeting assets that appear to have no legitimate origin and that are clearly the proceeds of crime. That is a hugely important mechanism.

On Deputy Calleary's question, I am happy to confirm that matters are advancing substantially in Europe with regard to a framework of criminal assets bureaus across Europe. I expect some announcements from initial work done in this area at Commission level to be made within the next two to three months. I have had direct discussions on this issue with Commissioner Reding, who is co-ordinating with other colleagues in the Commission. It will be a substantial priority of the Irish Presidency of the EU next January.

Dealing with organised crime is a specific matter of conversation between myself and the Northern Ireland Minister for Justice, Mr. Ford, and between the two police forces, North and South. There is huge co-operation in these areas. There have been substantial drug finds as a consequence of that co-operation and laundered fuel has been seized. More recently, major hauls of tobacco and cigarettes brought illegally into the State were derived from co-operation in the area of organised crime between the Police Service of Northern Ireland, PSNI, and the Garda Síochána.

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