Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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96. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of sites and-or land seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau in the past ten years by land size, location and year seized, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43337/17]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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97. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of properties seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau in the past ten years by property type, location and year seized, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43338/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 97 together.

As the Deputy may know, the objectives and functions of the Criminal Assets Bureau are set out in sections 4 and 5 respectively of the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996.  In summary, they require the Bureau to:

(i) identify and investigate the proceeds of criminal conduct;

(ii) take action under the Proceeds of Crime Acts 1996-2016 to deny and deprive people of the benefit of assets that are the proceeds of criminal conduct by freezing, preserving and confiscating them;

(iii) take action under the Revenue Acts to ensure that the proceeds of criminal activity are subject to tax; and

(iv) investigate and determine claims for or in respect of benefits under the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 1993.

The Proceeds of Crime Acts 1996 - 2016 provide the legal framework underpinning the Bureau's powers to take all necessary actions, including the making of applications to the High Court, in relation to the seizing and securing of assets with a view to their disposal in due course in accordance with the provisions of that legislation.

With regard to the specific information sought by the Deputy, I would point out that Section 21 of the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996 requires the Bureau, through the Garda Commissioner, to provide a report of its activities each year to the Minister for Justice and Equality who is then required to lay copies of the report before each House of the Oireachtas.  The Annual Reports, including the most recent one for 2016 which was published last July, are available in the Oireachtas library and on the website of An Garda Síochána and my own Department.  In Part 3 of the 2016 Report for instance, detailed information is provided in relation to the number of cases brought before the High Court under the various provisions of the Act; the number and types of assets broken down by reference to jewellery, property, vehicles and cash/financial and their respective valuations; and the value of assets transferred to the Minister for Finance following the making of a disposal order by the High Court under Section 4 of the Proceeds of Crime Acts 1996 - 2016.  Comparative data relating to the actions of the Bureau under the Revenue Acts and the Social Welfare Consolidation Act are also provided in the Annual Reports of the Bureau.

In order to mitigate any risk of harm to a property, the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate to be specific about individual properties which could be in the process of sale on behalf of the Bureau, or which have been purchased.