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

I do not accept what Deputy Mac Lochlainn said. In fact, it is clear the Government has put more resources into the more efficient management and ability of An Garda Síochána to tackle criminal activity than other Governments in recent years. At the height of the Celtic tiger, we did not have the kind of investment in ICT that was clearly needed and, as I have said, it was outlined in those reports from the Garda Inspectorate.

The Government has set about supporting An Garda Síochána and has not just spoken about, but has actually made the investment so that all the important issues the Deputy has raised can be managed more effectively.

The enormous complexity for regulators and enforcement agencies internationally in addressing the multifaceted nature of the crimes the Deputy mentioned is widely acknowledged. There is developing experience here. The Law Reform Commission's work on regulatory enforcement and corporate offences, which is an important initiative, will guide future legislation. There is considerable engagement between the specialist bureaux and the other bodies, including the Criminal Assets Bureau, as the Deputy mentioned, and the Office of Corporate Enforcement. The success of that co-operation is evident from recent convictions for breaches of the Companies Act.

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