Written answers

Tuesday, 8 December 2020

Department of Justice and Equality

Garda Data

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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510. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of additional gardaí who have been trained as divisional asset profilers during 2019 and to date in 2020, in tabular form. [41404/20]

Photo of Helen McEnteeHelen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is a multi-agency statutory body established under the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996.  The Bureau’s remit is to target a person's assets, wherever situated, which derive, or are suspected to derive, directly or indirectly, from criminal conduct. Since its inception, the Bureau has been at the forefront of fighting organised crime in this jurisdiction and disrupting the activities of criminal gangs by depriving them of ill-gotten assets.

The Bureau is widely regarded as a best practice model in the context of combating organised crime.  It works closely with law enforcement bodies at national and international levels and continues to relentlessly pursue the illicit proceeds of organised crime activity. The actions of the Bureau send a strong message to criminals and to local communities that profiting from crime will not be tolerated.

The Deputy will be aware that CAB published its Strategic Plan for 2020 to 2023 in July of this year.  The strategic plan describes the structure of CAB and its key programmes of activity to deliver its remit. CAB has trained a nationwide network of asset profilers to identify assets acquired from the proceeds of criminal conduct. The Bureau continues to develop specialist expertise and technology to trace and investigate these assets. It also continues to work closely with international crime investigation agencies, and has successfully targeted proceeds of foreign criminality from countries such as the US and the UK.

The Criminal Assets Bureau normally conducts training courses for asset profilers twice per year.  For the most part asset profilers are members of An Garda Síochána from local divisions and from special units.  In addition, a small number have been trained from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and from the Office of the Revenue Commissioners.

During 2019, the Criminal Assets Bureau provided Divisional Asset Profiler Training for 100 personnel. Unfortunately, due to Covid19 restrictions, no Divisional Asset Profiler Training took place to date in 2020.However, preparations have been made to provide the Divisional Asset Profiler Training Programme on-line in 2021.

Year  No. of Gardaí who received Divisional Asset Profiler Training
2019 100
2020 0

There are currently 446 Gardai, 17 Revenue and 8 Social Welfare Divisional Asset Profilers operating Nationwide.

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