Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the extent to which racketeering, protection and money laundering activities have been identified by his Department; the action taken arising therefrom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5056/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 247: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to racketeering, protection or extortion on an organised basis; the action he has taken or proposes to take in response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5287/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 248: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the extent to which his Department is tackling money laundering activities; the success of such actions in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5288/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 100, 247 and 248 together.

Ireland has extensive legislation in place to tackle money laundering activities with the main provisions in Irish law relating to money laundering being set out in section 31 of the Criminal Justice Act 1994, as amended by section 21 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001, sections 32 and 57 of the Criminal Justice Act 1994, and section 23 of the Criminal Justice Theft and Fraud Offences Act 2001.

This legislation defines an offence of money laundering and its provisions include, inter alia, placing an obligation on designated bodies and persons to report to the Garda Síochána any suspicion that a money laundering offence has been or is being committed in relation to their business. Furthermore, designated bodies must adopt identified appropriate measures to prevent and detect the commission of a money laundering offence and a money laundering steering committee under the chairmanship of the Department of Finance oversees this aspect of the legislation.

Pursuant to section 57 of the Criminal Justice Act 1994, the money laundering investigation unit of the Garda Síochána receive suspicious transaction reports, STRs, from designated bodies. I am informed by the Garda authorities that all STRs are investigated in full in an attempt to link the subject or funds to any form of criminal activity. In conjunction with this, a number of suitable or appropriate STR investigations are referred to the Criminal Assets Bureau.

I understand that two persons were convicted for money laundering offences during 2004 and that a number of cases are still presently before the courts. In 1999 Ireland's laws and procedures on money laundering were the subject of a favourable review by the financial action task force, FATF, which is an OECD inter-governmental body whose purpose is the development and promotion of policies both at national and international level to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. Later this year the FATF will conduct a new evaluation of Ireland's anti-money laundering processes. In this regard, Ireland is currently preparing information to facilitate the evaluation.

In relation to the other matters raised, I am informed by the Garda authorities that, over the past 18 months, in excess of €6 million worth of counterfeit products have been seized and a number of arrests made. Members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation continue to investigate all matters concerning counterfeit and intellectual property crime.

Furthermore, a number of the cases pursued by the Criminal Assets Bureau through the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 and the various Taxes Acts arise from money laundering and forms of organised crime, which includes protection and racketeering.

With regard to legislative proposals to strengthen the State's overall response in tackling organised criminal activity, the Deputy may wish to note that I am considering bringing forward a number of amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill 2004 which is currently before the Houses. These include a proposal to provide for criminal offences in relation to participation in a criminal organisation.