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

I have stated previously on the Order of Business that successive Governments have introduced a series of robust anti-gangland Bills. This week, I brought a memorandum to Cabinet for which I secured support to ensure the special criminal justice legislation will be in place for this year again as well as terrorist legislation, which is renewed annually. I hope I will get the support of all Members when I seek the renewal of both Acts in the next few weeks. I ask them for their support. This anti-gangland legislation was brought in in 2009. We have strong legislation.

As I have made clear, if we need a review of some of the legislation - Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked about the Criminal Assets Bureau legislation - we will do that as a matter of priority this term. The Criminal Assets Bureau is working extremely well. If one reads its latest annual report, one will see the amount of assets that are being seized. The bureau is being copied by other countries because it is and has been so effective in seizing assets from criminals and interrupting their deadly activities over the past decade. That legislation and other legislation in the criminal justice area will be prioritised for this term.

An investment in ICT of well over €200 million was made by the last Government. This is to allow the Garda to have the type of ICT structure they need, a matter that has been shamefully neglected over the years. I set up the first committee between An Garda Síochána and the Departments of Justice and Equality and Public Expenditure and Reform so that we could identify the ICT needs. We now have a programme of action relating to that which began to be implemented towards the end of last year and will continue at a rapid pace this year.

In respect of the recess, I reiterate a point I made earlier which was also mentioned by the Ceann Comhairle. The summer recess is a matter for the Dáil. We have a Dáil reform programme and a new business committee that will examine this issue and, no doubt, will make a recommendation to the Dáil. There is no date at present.

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