Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 257: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the value of assets seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau in each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27783/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Criminal Assets Bureau has been at the forefront of the fight against organised crime, including drug trafficking, in this jurisdiction since its inception in 1996. The significant successes that the Bureau continues to achieve by its operations demonstrates the effectiveness of its approach in pursuing illegally gotten gains.

The manner in which the Bureau operates has, in the eleven-year period of its existence, come to be viewed, both domestically and internationally, as a very successful model for targeting persons seeking to derive profits from criminal activities.

Details of the activities of the Criminal Assets Bureau since its establishment in 1996 are contained in the Annual Reports of the Bureau which are submitted to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The most recently published report is for the year 2006.

These reports are quite comprehensive and include details of the number of cases commenced, assets frozen and moneys returned to the Exchequer under the Proceeds of Crime Acts, 1996 and 2005, and moneys collected under the Revenue and Social Welfare Acts. Copies of the reports are available in the Oireachtas library.

The 2006 Criminal Assets Bureau Annual Report sets out in detail the current position with regard to the value of assets seized by the Bureau in each year since its inception up to and including end year 2006.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following table identifies the value of assets secured/restrained/frozen under Section 2 Interim Orders, Section 3 Interlocutory Orders and Section 16(b) Corrupt Enrichment Orders of the Proceeds of Crime Act, 1996 and 2005 (as amended) for the periods in question.