Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 255: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount of money laundering operations or outlets which have been identified; if investments in such are adequately tracked by way of the availability of adequate resources to the Gardaí; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31059/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The motivation of most criminals and their organisations is to profit from their illicit activities. I am informed by the Garda Authorities that serious and organised criminal groups employ money-laundering techniques to facilitate the re-introduction of the proceeds of their criminal activity into circulation. As investigations into money laundering operations are often intrinsically linked with investigations into other aspects of organised crime, it is not possible to definitively state the number of operations or outlets that have been identified.

I am further informed that investigations carried out by An Garda Síochána, including by the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, the Garda National Drugs Unit, the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Criminal Assets Bureau, which now has officers in every Garda Division, monitor criminal activity which generates proceeds from crime, financial or otherwise, and may have attendant money laundering schemes.

I am assured that senior Garda management closely monitor and regularly review the allocation of personnel to ensure that resources are deployed in the most efficient manner possible.