Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the response of the Minister of State, including the written response and all the detail and acknowledge that the Minister's response focused on the Criminal Assets Bureau and its work.

I have talked the point to death at this stage in respect of using cash seized by An Garda Síochána and the extra cash seized this year. I will leave that with the Minister for tonight but I will be coming back to him on this matter.

I want to talk in particular about CAB and some of the obstacles raised and pointed out so eloquently, not only in the Minister's response this evening but also in parliamentary questions. Unfortunately, we need to start thinking differently. It is not that hard. This policy is one that many of our neighbours have introduced. We can and must learn from the examples. France's agency for recovery and management of seized and confiscated assets was set up in 2010. It was set up directly modelled on the Criminal Assets Bureau. Those responsible saw Ireland and the great work that CAB had been doing since the mid-1990s. They said they needed that for France. More important, that agency sets aside a percentage of revenue from seized assets every year to fund policy operations and drug diversion programmes. In New Zealand, the asset recovery unit seized the proceeds of crime. The organisation is similar to our CAB. Proceeds contained in the criminal proceeds fund policy, health and customs. Agencies can apply to make use of these funds for initiatives such as alcohol and drug treatment services, initiatives to buy organised crime and to address mental health issues and to generally improve community well-being.

I have already mentioned the youth diversion programmes and education programmes. This is something Ireland should be looking into emulating. I work on a daily basis with Councillor Kenneth Egan of my party. He is a county councillor on the ground in Clondlakin and Neilstown. Councillor Egan is also an addiction councillor and a youth boxing coach. He is one of the people who is in touch with exactly what is going on. Let us imagine we could turn around to him and state that CAB would guarantee a fund. I will go back to my original points. What about the bonus cash amounting to €9 million? That does not compare to the previous two years. We could ring fence it directly. That would send a brilliant message to the most deprived communities and the people in our society who too often we leave behind.

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