Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding the work of the expert group looking at the Criminal Assets Bureau who are reviewing the proceeds of crime legislation and the date in early 2012 that their paper will be published; the details of the membership of this group; and the details of the costs of running same. [6548/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, an expert group, established under the auspices of my Department, is engaged in a comprehensive review of the Proceeds of Crime legislation with a view to identifying possible improvements that would serve to strengthen the operation of the Criminal Assets Bureau. A number of matters are being reviewed by the group, including decreasing the amount of time which must elapse before criminal assets which have been frozen become the property of the State; increasing the powers of receivers over properties to immediately deprive criminals of the use of those properties; short-term seizure of assets believed to be the proceeds of crime pending determination by the courts; and further improving measures supporting international co-operation. The expert group comprises representatives of the Crime and Criminal Law Reform Divisions of my Department, the Chief Bureau Officer and Bureau Legal Officer of the Criminal Assets Bureau and a representative of the Office of the Attorney General. I expect the group to have concluded its work early this year. When that happens, I intend to make available, in due course, the outcome of that review and to bring forward my proposals in the normal way. It is not possible to provide the Deputy with a particular date for when the outcome of the group's work will be made available. The work of the expert group has not given rise to any additional costs.