Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Since the judge's findings and the acquittal of Mr. FitzPatrick, has the Minister met the senior staff, in particular the director, of the ODCE? She told the Dáil minutes ago that she has asked the director for a report for 23 June. However, has she or her senior officials, such as her Secretary General, met the director and, as necessary, senior staff in the ODCE?

When I was speaking I put it to the Minister that the ODCE, arising from this shambles, has been shown to be entirely inadequate in regard to the prosecution of white collar crime, which by the way is an extremely difficult area in every country of the world. Does the Minister share my view that there should be a white collar crime criminal assets bureau, in other words, a new organisation which would function in parallel to the existing Criminal Assets Bureau but which would deal with what is broadly described as white collar crime?

The Minister mentioned she was commissioning a report. She also mentioned that she is asking, as she is entitled to do under section 955, for a report from the director of the ODCE. Is the report she mentioned one she is commissioning from an independent expert or just the report from the ODCE?

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