Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have things to say myself without adding to that. I welcome this as well. I have great respect for the OECD. We do not listen to it often enough. It is an independent advisory body. It has done a series of evaluations. This is the third report. There is talk of setting up inquires here. Given the number of tribunals we have here, it would be better to bring in people from abroad who have no connection. They would provide independence and clarity. I put my own hand up. We might often be too close to issues to be able to see what is wrong. This is very important.

I refer to criminal conduct and laundering the proceeds. That happened for a long time in sa tir seo, na hÉireann. They had so much proceeds they had to find useful work for wilful gain. They could not mention the way that they had got it. They sent scouts out and linked up with European and then international gangs. They were able to transfer funds by various means. Sometimes it was just carried in bags but at other times it was transferred by electronic transfer. A web of deceit operated by bankers could transfer money from account to account and move it here and there. Lots of property was bought out of their ill-gotten gains. I salute the journalists that investigated it. I also salute the members of An Garda Síochána, Interpol and other police forces. We must always recognise the support of Interpol and other police forces that have to painstakingly follow and untangle this web. The proceeds of crime must be gotten.

Section 5(1) and section 6(1) in respect of foreign officials are necessary as well. That was a trick because the powers were not there under our legislation to follow these criminals and follow their tangled web of deceit. There were no powers to ensure they were monitored, were under covert surveillance and were identified and to ensure a case would be made to lead to arrests and questioning. The dual offence for crimes that took place abroad is very important. Otherwise we were going nowhere.

I congratulate the Minister, his drafters and his advisers on this excellent legislation. We could see the wealth, the villas, the hotels and the palatial mansions on the sunny beaches of other countries. They had a lovely life of luxury after the misery that their empire perpetrated on the people of Ireland and, indeed, many other countries. It is important that we support this. When wrapping up, the Minister might indicate when this will be implemented and when he thinks there might be an evaluation of it. It is more difficult when it is offshore and off-site because we do not know what continent they have gone to. We have a massive coastline to patrol, as well as our airports. We have to cater for all kinds of movements.

I welcome this legislation and hope it is introduced speedily and that it will be of benefit. We should go back to the OECD and ask it to evaluate it again for us. I know it is not altogether happy with some issues. I refer to the situation with white collar crime and the issues I spoke about on previous amendments about the banking inquiry. It is not very happy with some of the investigations and some of the roles of our police force. The OECD had things to say that we need to learn from. We need to talk to the OECD. Perhaps it could help us find a new Garda Commissioner. Perhaps we need international experience and people who have experience in police forces that have dealt with these issues in the countries they are from. The OECD is a valuable resource to have and we should listen to it. We must engage with it and be thankful for the advice it has given, especially in respect of this amendment. I am glad have accepted it. We can often become insular and say we know best ourselves. However, we often do not.

I refer to the cold calm eye of an outside body like the OECD and such bodies that are not for profit and are for the betterment of developed countries and countries that are trying to develop. This is excellent legislation and I support anything we can do to curtail or restrict the salubrious lifestyles of the people who emigrate and tarnish and sully the name of this little nation. They laugh all the way to the bank, to their villas, to the seaside and to their fine wines because I am reliably informed that some have their own vineyards. They have a great lifestyle from their ill-gotten gains. They are into catering, hotels and all kinds of activities as a cover. It is not work. They do not work. They just want to bury and hide the proceeds of crime. They have a very salubrious lifestyle from a trail of misery and destruction left in our country. It is important that Interpol and all the other police forces around the world act on advice given by the OECD. They must work with our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. We must try together - in aghaidh cur le chéile - to make a dent and bring down those empires of drug cartels and of deceitfulness. I refer to the image they portray to our young people of being above the law and that they can do whatever they like when they like with whom they like.

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