Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 491: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to introduce divestitures which require defendants to divest themselves of interests in tainted enterprises, impose restrictions on the future activities and investments of an individual and order the dissolution or reorganisation of any enterprise. [19319/08]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 492: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to introduce trusteeships that will allow the courts to empower trustees to run organisations where they are infiltrated or controlled by criminal elements. [19320/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 491 and 492 together.

The Agreed Programme for Government contains commitments in relation to the use of divestitures and trusteeships in the fight against organised crime. As Minister, I am determined to take whatever steps are required to disrupt the activities of criminal gangs through the seizure of assets and the targeting of businesses and other enterprises used by them in furtherance of their criminal objectives.

In this regard, the Criminal Assets Bureau is being actively utilised to identify and target assets accumulated by crime gangs, in order to seize such assets and to deprive criminals of the profits of their illegal activities. 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. My Department will continue to consider how to advance additional measures, such as the use of divestitures and trusteeships, designed to assist in the fight against organised crime.