Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That this is a priority area in the policing plan for this year illustrates the seriousness with which this issue is being taken.

Deputy Mac Lochlainn makes a point about resources. I am pleased that this year we have been able to increase the resources to An Garda Síochána for the first time in a number of years and that we are working on the ICT issues, which are essential in order to deal with the type of complex crime which he describes. Progress is being made on all of those fronts.

I assure Deputy Mac Lochlainn that there has been a strategic review within An Garda Síochána to bring the relevant resources, such as he describes, together. There is an increasing focus, as there needs to be, on inter-agency work. We have the legislation in place.

Prosecutions are being brought, there is no question of that. I have given the Deputy the figures on the case to which he referred. I fully support Deputy Mac Lochlainn's point on the need for white collar crime to be a priority area and it is being treated as such.

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