Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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788. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the budget allocation for the Criminal Assets Bureau in 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form. [45051/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Eradicating organised crime is central to building safer, stronger communities. I am absolutely committed to that goal, and strengthening and expanding the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is an important element of this. It is essential to deprive criminals of the proceeds of crime and 2023 was a record year for the Criminal Assets Bureau in this regard.

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. The Chief Bureau Officer is responsible to the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána for the administration and business of the Criminal Assets Bureau. As Minister for Justice, I have no direct role in these functions.

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.

Earlier this year, I announced plans to introduce legislation to further strengthen the State’s ability to seize criminal assets. The Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill 2024 will make significant changes to existing legislation to strengthen the ability of the Criminal Assets Bureau to target the proceeds of crime and will speed up the process to dispose of the asset for the benefit of the State.

The table below outlines the budget allocation for the Criminal Assets Bureau in 2023, 2024 and 2025: