Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 686: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the time frame for legislation to update the search warrant provision in section 29 of the Offences Against The State Act 1939; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26836/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I obtained Government approval of the text of the Criminal Justice (Search Warrants) Bill 2012 yesterday. Subject to the completion of the printing process I expect that the Bill will be available to Members this Friday.

The Bill will restore, in updated form, the search warrant provision in section 29 of the Offences against the State Act 1939 which was struck down by the Supreme Court in the case of Ali Charaf Damache v The Director of Public Prosecutions, Ireland and the Attorney General (23 February 2012). I hope to have this Bill enacted before the Summer recess in order to ensure that An Garda Síochána has all the legislative back-up it requires to investigate subversive and other serious crimes.