Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 157: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount of assets seized to date by the Criminal Assets Bureau; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15905/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Criminal Assets Bureau is an invaluable tool for law enforcement in the fight against organised crime. Since its inception in 1996, the bureau has had many major successes in seizing the ill-gotten gains of criminals. The Criminal Assets Bureau takes actions under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 to seize property and assets which have been shown in the High Court to be the proceeds of crime. The Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2005 has enhanced the powers of the Criminal Assets Bureau in this regard.

The following table gives a year by year breakdown of the total value of orders obtained by the bureau under section 3 of the 1996 Act from the inception of the bureau in 1996 to 2004, inclusive:

The figures in respect of orders obtained in 2005 are not yet available pending publication of the Bureau's Annual Report for last year.