Written answers

Wednesday, 2 November 2011

Department of Justice, Equality and Defence

Criminal Prosecutions

8:00 pm

Photo of Michael McCarthyMichael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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Question 317: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of registered moneylenders here who have been the focus of a Garda investigation since 2006; the number of registered moneylenders who have been prosecuted and subsequently convicted by the courts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31949/11]

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I understand the Deputy's question to relate to the investigation and/or prosecution of the moneylending offences provided for in Part VIII of the Consumer Credit Act 1995.

In this regard, I am informed by the Garda authorities that where such offences are reported to An Garda Síochána the matter is the subject of investigation under the direction of local Garda District officers with relevant expert assistance available from the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation.

I am further advised that as such offences are not recorded on the Garda Síochána PULSE system under a specific crime type, it would necessitate a disproportionate expenditure of Garda time and resources to conduct an examination of each incident recorded on the system to establish the number of incidents concerning moneylending offences for the period in question.

With regard to the more general question concerning prosecutions and/or convictions in respect of moneylending offences, the Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose.

I have therefore requested the CSO to ascertain if such statistics are available and to provide any such data directly to the Deputy.

Photo of Robert DowdsRobert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 318: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if there were any criminal prosecutions brought against persons in commercial banks which were overcharging customers on a systematic basis from 2006 to 2010, inclusive; and, if not, the reason such prosecutions were not brought. [32393/11]

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Following the submission in 2004 of a report and recommendations by an expert group on crime statistics, it was decided that the compilation and publication of crime statistics should be taken over by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, from An Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána Act 2005 consequently makes provision for this and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. Following the setting up of the necessary technical systems and auditing of the data from which the statistics are compiled, the CSO is now compiling, publishing and responding to queries regarding recorded crime statistics.

I have requested the CSO to provide statistics directly to the Deputy.

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