Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 262: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps he has taken or proposes to take to disrupt and disorganise the growth of criminal gangs here with particular reference to the seizure of assets and disrupting such organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27788/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Garda authorities that intelligence-led operations, primarily undertaken by specialist units of An Garda Síochána, under the remit of the Assistant Commissioner, National Support Services, including the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Garda National Drugs Unit, and the Organised Crime Unit are regularly undertaken, targeting those suspected of being involved in organised crime.

Specifically in relation to the issue of disrupting the activities of criminal gangs through the seizure of assets, the Criminal Assets Bureau is being actively utilised to identify and target assets accumulated by such gangs, in order to seize such assets and to deprive criminals of the profits of their illegal activities.

The Bureau has been at the forefront of the fight against organised crime 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.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that as part of An Garda Síochána's Policing Plan for 2007 and in conjunction with An Garda Síochána's Corporate Strategy, the Criminal Assets Bureau is committed to targeting persons involved in organised crime.

This commitment, which will continue during 2008, will form part of the CAB business plan and the Government will continue to provide the Bureau with all the necessary resources it requires to carry out its functions effectively.

As part of the commitment of An Garda Síochána to target organised crime gangs, the Criminal Assets Bureau works very closely with the other agencies which form part of An Garda Síochána's National Support Services.

For example, the Bureau is in continuous contact with the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Garda National Drugs Unit and the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation. CAB also works closely with all Garda divisions through the network of divisional asset profilers and directly with other Garda divisional officers when the need arises.

Furthermore, the Criminal Assets Bureau also targets the assets of criminal gangs through its ongoing work on joint operations undertaken with outside agencies such as the Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and with the UK's Revenue and Customs Services.

The measures which the Criminal Assets Bureau continues to take against crime groups involves the restraint and seizure of assets by way of the Proceeds of Crime legislation, the raising of tax assessments and the collection of money under revenue legislation and through the implementation of actions as deemed appropriate under Social Welfare legislation.

This work continues to cause major disruption to these crime groups by removing the profit generated by their criminal activities and such action will continue to be vigorously pursued by the Bureau.

Finally, I can assure the Deputy that areas such as gun crime, organised crime and drugs remain as the top policing priorities for the Government and that I will continue to keep the measures and resources for tackling such crime under review.