John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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279. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his Department's views on the current level of involvement, if any, of current or former members of Sinn Féin or the Provisional IRA in organised crime on the island of Ireland; how such activity is being monitored by the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20314/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is, by law, responsible for the management of operational matters and it would not be appropriate for me, as Minister for Justice, to comment on intelligence or to speculate in relation to individuals associated with specific political parties.  

The Deputy will, however, also appreciate that it is long recognised that there are inextricable links between organised crime and dissident terrorist organisations in this jurisdiction.  

I can assure the Deputy that tackling organised criminal activity remains an overriding priority for An Garda Síochána and the Government. While we should not underestimate the challenges and danger which the Garda authorities face in tackling organised crime, and its links with terrorist organisations, we continue to see the significant results of their efforts in the arrests made and people being brought before the Courts. This is evident both here and in other jurisdictions, as indeed are the ongoing drugs and firearms seizures made. 

An Garda Síochána tackles organised criminal activity through a range of targeted measures designed to disrupt and dismantle the operations of criminal organisations. To the greatest extent possible, these measures include the use of advanced analytical and intelligence methodologies.

The additional resources allocated to An Garda Síochána in recent years have enabled the Garda Commissioner to assign extra resources to the specialist units involved in tackling organised crime, including the Armed Support Unit (ASU), the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI), and the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB).

An Garda Síochána uses a range of multi-disciplinary approaches and cross border partnerships to ensure the activities of individuals and groups involved in criminal enterprise are effectively targeted. Such approaches include the use of money-laundering legislation and the powers available to CAB under the proceeds of crime legislation.

Other measures taken to tackle organised crime include the strengthening of legislation where required; the establishment of a second Special Criminal Court in 2016; and the establishment of Garda Armed Response Units in all Garda regions which are available to support all divisions countrywide.