Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will try to follow Senator Norris. The main reason I wish to speak on this Bill is to say that no one should be above the law, whether for stealing an item from a shop or for white-collar crime. There is a perception among the public that white-collar crime is not something for which people can be sent to jail or held accountable but this legislation will do that and it needs to be implemented. I welcome that. I suspect that if it had been in place prior to the crash in 2008, we would be in a different place today.

The Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, has worked in fighting corruption and one can never put enough resources put into it. It cuts across every area of crime and we need to ensure it is kept properly resourced and that we consider it all the time. Something I feel strongly about, and which is being included in most legislation coming through, is that when an organisation is established, there should be a review in terms of due diligence every three to five years. I would like to see that apply to organisations like CAB to make sure they are moving apace with technology and in the context of the types of crimes being committed because they are evolving all the time.

I very much welcome this Bill but everything is not a separate component; everything is integrated. This is all about gardaí on the ground and about CAB. It was always said that the lady robbing a sliced pan for her family was held to account more by the State and by the legislation than perhaps the company director raiding the pension fund. This legislation sets that right and it is something I very much welcome.