Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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137. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 339 of 11 November 2021, if she will provide figures for the number of gardaí in specialist units in the Roscommon-Longford division and the Galway division, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57555/21]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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As outlined in a previous response to the Deputy in Parliamentary Question No. 339 of 11 November 2021, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes the deployment of Garda members throughout the State. As Minister, I have no role in this independent function.

The Garda authorities advise that 161 Garda members in Galway Division and 37 Garda members in Roscommon/Longford Division are assigned to specialist units. The attached tables outline the number of Garda members assigned to each specialist unit in each Division as requested by the Deputy.

An Garda Síochána continue to develop and implement strategies to dismantle and disrupt criminal networks, utilising advanced analytical and intelligence methods. Gardaí target serious criminals and organised criminal groups through the use of focused intelligence-led operations by specialist units. Gardaí in these divisions continue to be supported by national units, such as the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB), the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), the Special Detective Unit (SDU), the Armed Response Unit, the Emergency Response Unit (ERU), the Air Support Unit (ASU), as-well as the Roads Policing Units.

Specialist Units Roscommon/Longford

Specialist Units Galway Division

Galway, Roscommon and Longford Division Oct 2021

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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138. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the measures that are being put in place to strengthen community input into policing matters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57661/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that my Department published the general scheme of the landmark Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill earlier this year.

The Bill will, inter alia, provide for a key principle from the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland - that preventing crime and harm and making our communities safer does not rest with An Garda Síochána and my Department alone. I think the Deputy will agree that this is best achieved as a ‘whole of government’ responsibility with Departments and agencies responsible for health and social services, education authorities and local authorities, the Gardaí and the wider community working together.

The new Bill will achieve this by establishing innovative Local Community Safety Partnerships to develop local safety plans, tailored to the priorities and needs identified by communities themselves. It is intended that these Local Community Safety Partnerships will build on and replace the existing Joint Policing Committees and will provide a forum for State agencies and local community representatives to work together to act on community concerns.

Each Partnership will devise and oversee a Local Community Safety Plan, which will be informed by the community itself. Membership of the Partnerships will be broader than that of the existing JPCs and will include residents, community representatives (including youth, new communities and voluntary sector representation), business and education sector representation, relevant public services including the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána and local authorities as well as local councillors.

The Deputy will be aware that in November 2020, I announced the establishment of three new Local Community Safety Partnerships on a pilot basis in the north inner city of Dublin, Waterford and Longford. The locations of the pilots, which are due to run for 24 months, were chosen based on a number of factors including population density, crime rates and deprivation. An independent Chairperson has been appointed to chair each Partnership pilot and I am grateful to them for their public service.

As the pilots progress, they will be carefully evaluated and any necessary changes made to ensure the Partnerships work as effectively as possible for the communities involved. The pilots will inform the further development of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill, which will facilitate the rollout of Local Community Safety Partnerships in every local authority area.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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139. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the Criminal Asset Bureau investigates criminals who do not have assets but whose lifestyle does not match their means; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58049/21]

Helen 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 has staff drawn from An Garda Síochána, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners (including Customs), the Department of Social Protection and my Department.

The Bureau has been one of the great success stories in Irish law enforcement and Minister Heather Humphreys recently marked the 25th anniversary of the formation of CAB with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Chief Bureau Officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Gubbins.

The Bureau’s remit is to target the assets, wherever situated, of persons 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 – disrupting the activities of criminal gangs through the removal of their ill-gotten gains - and has been recognised as a world leader in asset investigations, tracing and forfeiture.

The Bureau works closely with Gardaí and all law enforcement agencies at national and international levels and continues to focus its efforts on targeting assets deriving from all types of criminal conduct. The Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2005 makes provision for the Bureau to seize assets that were generated in foreign jurisdictions. This Act enables the Bureau to cooperate fully with other international asset recovery agencies.

In summary, there must be an “asset” and there must be “evidence of criminal conduct” for the Bureau to commence an investigation and take action pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996, as amended.

In saying this, if a criminal is showing signs of wealth/living beyond their means, the Bureau can commence an investigation and action may be taken under the Revenue Acts and/or Social Welfare Acts, in the absence of assets. The Bureau utilises the Garda Divisional Assets Profiler network to identify criminals who show signs of wealth and who appear to be living beyond their legitimate means.

The Deputy may be aware that CAB recently published their annual report for 2020. Some of the notable recent actions in 2020 include in excess of €4.2 million being returned to the Exchequer and thirty-one new proceeds of crime applications brought before the High Court. During 2020, a total of forty five individuals and corporate entities were assessed under the provisions of the Tax Acts, resulting in a total tax figure of €10.447m.

The Bureau serves to make Ireland a more hostile environment for the generation of proceeds of crime and sends a strong message to criminals and to local communities that profiting from crime will simply not be tolerated. In doing so, the Bureau targets lower to middle tier criminals, in addition to Organised Crime Groups.

As the Deputy is aware, CAB is accounted for in the Justice Vote. I can confirm that CAB received an additional €0.9 million funding for 2022, bringing the total budget allocation to €10.9 million, which is an increase on the €9.96 million provided for CAB in 2021.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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140. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her assessment of the recent rise in fraud crime. [57818/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the detection of and response to any criminal activity is an operational function for the Garda Commissioner. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

As the Deputy will be aware, the most recent statistics published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that reported fraud offences have increased by 40.6% across the country in the period covering the 12 months to the end of June 2021. The trend towards online crime is one which had been building but clearly that sharp rise is attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic and the new opportunities which it presented to criminals with increased levels of working from home, far larger numbers engaged in online shopping and so on.

It is worth noting however that the most recent recorded crime statistics also show welcome steep decreases in more traditional crimes against property and other types of crime nationwide. Burglary was down 37.2% nationwide compared to the previous 12 month period, while robbery was down 20.7% and theft was down 22%.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that in recent years An Garda Síochána has significantly stepped up its dedicated resources in the cyber area and is continuing to grow its capabilities. The dedicated Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau is now led by a Detective Chief Superintendent. As of 30 September, there were 45 Garda members attached to the bureau, and plans to continue to expand further over the next year, including the recruitment of 20 civilian expert posts at engineer grade.

The Bureau is responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of cybercrime incidents in the State. Both the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Cyber Crime Bureau continue to engage with telecommunications service providers regarding online scams and the identification of the persons involved in them.

I am pleased to note that Cyber Satellite hubs have also recently been established in Cork, Galway, Mullingar and Wexford. These hubs are engaged in cybercrime forensics, investigations and support roles.

Combatting and preventing fraud and related cybercrime falls under the remit of several Departments and Agencies. There is close cooperation across the whole of Government on this issue and, in particular, between An Garda Síochána and the National Cyber Security Centre.

The Deputy may also be aware that last month my Department launched a major cybercrime awareness campaign, as part of European Cybersecurity Month. This campaign involved Community Gardaí and Crime Prevention Officers around the country providing information to local communities on how to avoid falling victim to such scams. This included local information events, as well as the normal engagement Gardaí have with their communities. There were also dedicated radio advertisements broadcast nationally as part of the campaign.

Cooperation with our EU and international partners remains a key part of Ireland's response to cybercrime and online scams. Ireland is also committed to ratifying the Council of Europe Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, the first binding international treaty on cybercrime, when the necessary legislative requirements have been fulfilled. My Department is currently drafting a general scheme of a Cybercrime Bill which will give effect to those provisions of the Budapest Convention not already provided for in Irish law.