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THE GOVERNMENT IS promising new laws to give gardaí the power to seize more assets and to engage in further electronic surveillance.
Tánaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald announced the plans today as a response to what she termed as “unprecedented gangland violence”.
Under the plans, the threshold for seizing assets believed to be the proceeds of crime will be dramatically lowered from €6,500 to just €1,000.
Asset-freezing legislation used by the Criminal Assets Bureau will also be strengthened so that the threshold is reduced from €13,000 to €5,000.
This ‘mini-CAB’ system is part of a series of measures aimed at targeting lower-level drug dealers. It comes in the wake of an intensification of gang-related violence affecting the north inner city area of Dublin in particular.
CAB will be given powers to freeze assets while an investigation is ongoing. Fitzgerald said that new laws will have to be passed to give power to these plans.
Surveillance
Also included in the proposals is a commitment to pass new laws to allow for the closer surveillance of suspects.
A statement from the Department of Justice says the minister told the Cabinet that she will be bringing forward more details on this in the “near future”:
The Tánaiste also notified the government of her intention to bring forward proposals in the near future to enhance and update the legislative framework for the lawful interception of communications and for covert electronic surveillance, to combat the threats from serious and organised crime and terrorism.
“I want to support the work the Garda Síochána are doing day-in, day-out with some success in interrupting this cycle,” justice minister Frances Fitzgerald said this morning, ahead of the Cabinet meeting.
Source: Niall Carson
Today, An Garda Síochána confirmed the plans to establish of a 'special crime task force' which will be coordinated by the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan said this task force will adopt an "intelligence-led, focused and targeted approach" in respect of individuals and groups involved in organised crime.
The primary focus will centre on targeting the proceeds of crime. O'Sullivan said "in recognising the significant impact and damage caused to communities by organised crime, that these new measures will assist in enhancing the service we provide to the public in tackling and disrupting organised crime at all levels".
Mini-CAB
Asked earlier whether the new thresholds for the seizure of assets amounted to the setting up of a 'mini-CAB' Minsiter Fitzgerald responded:
"Yes it is effectively, it's making sure that you have zero tolerance in relation to drug dealing on the streets.
I want to strengthen the power of the CAB so they can seize assets more easily from criminals.
The Tánaiste also said that she will be meeting with colleagues from Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands as part of plans to target the assets of criminals.
Her commitment to extending resources in order to tackle gangland crime was welcomed by the Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents more than 10.500 rank and file members.
President Ciarán O'Neill said his organisation is confident those resources will yield results.
It’s a positive step forward by the Government and demonstrates a commitment to tackling these issues. We very much hope that this is the beginning of a sustained long term investment in An Garda Síochána.
CAB
The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) was set up in 1996 in response to the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin. It gives gardaí the power to seize the proceeds of crime, social welfare overpayment and tax underpayment.
CAB seized more than €10 million from suspected criminal activity in 2014.
More than €3.8 million was returned to the Exchequer.
In addition, 10 new proceeds of crime were brought before the High Court with freezing orders put on assets with a collective value of €6.76 million.
Father Peter McVerry, the well-known inner city-based campaigner, insisted the current measures to tackle gangland violence weren't working.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie this morning, he said that the violence stemmed from the area's decades-long drug problem.
"Ultimately the solution to it is to invest very heavily in drug treatment facilities to enable young people to escape from the drug culture when they chose to do so," McVerry said.
The lack of opportunities for 13 to 16-year-olds needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency, according to the campaigner. McVerry said he was hopeful that if offered more educational opportunities, young adults would move away from a life of crime.
Updated 3pm
With reporting from Daragh Brophy, Rónán Duffy and Michelle Hennessy.
I seriously hope that the idiot who passed me and 3 others cars on double white lines on the N2 last Sunday reads this.
The car was going that fast I couldn’t get the number.
The speeding and passing out on that road it unbelievable.
@Kappa: I think that’s a big issue – the disconnect between behavior and the consequences.
We constantly hear that someone died on the road. We never hear the why.
So as a driver it is easy to separate our actions behind the wheel and possible outcomes.
Like above, the car hit a tree and they both died which s dreadful but how can such a thing happen and how do I avoid it? There’s no lesson to take away bar the usual generic slow down and don’t drink & drive which fall on deaf ears.
Fatal accident on N2 yesterday was a suspected non national drunk driver, he was killed. Three vehicles involved. Two innocent people now in critical condition.
Full details will become public knowledge in due course. Locals well aware of what occurred.
This should be broadcast on all Irish channels at the same time.
I’d rather watch something about the cosmos. There’s so much out there to discover.
@Hello there. What a sad little existence you must lead. What you going to do when twitter shut down your means of hiding so you can troll?
I’ll cry :-)
I was passed on the ballyragget road in kilkenny by a fool in a supervalu van on his mobile over took me as a tractor approached , I reported this to supervalu and nothing happened , I have now reported to gardai hopefully this fool will be caught before he bn kills some one…
I think we should get the figures for the last decade of what was deemed the cause of accidents. Then increase the resourcing of prevent the causes and tell the public why. People caught speeding always seem to say it is a money making exercise, people say cyclists are a huge danger, roads are dangerous, etc… Let’s see the actual figures. I suspect it driver behaviour more than people will admit
@Kal Ipers: I would say that almost certainly, the vast majority of fatal accidents in Ireland are caused by driver error and driver choices.
Part of the problem is the very natural human feeling of compassion for the victims. The horrifying story of a young woman dying with her son is going to make anyone feel sympathy. So there’s a way to talk about it. “their car hit a tree”. It’s an event that comes like lightning out of the sky. It’s callous and cruel to look closer at why the car hit the tree. It would cause those already suffering even more pain. However, if people aren’t willing to look openly and clearly at why accidents happen, and why the causes are not accidental, but the choices people make, then there can’t be significant improvement.
The Irish record on road safety is much worse than the UK. Rural Ireland is worse than Dublin. Donegal is very, very bad indeed. This is partly due to the type of roads, and their condition, but it’s mostly due to the Irish driver, who routinely does things that in the long term will kill someone.
@Julian West: Sorry Julian, just reading your comment after I posted mine.
You said it better than me and I couldn’t agree more.
@Julian West: Hate to break it to you they do investigate these things either way. I am suggesting they publish the results in the form of stats to let the public know he truth.
@Julian.Great post.
Heartbreaking to watch and should be required viewing for anybody who is learning to drive a car.on a side note to all the whingers who complain about RTE in fairness to them they have produced two powerful programmes in the last few days on this subject and the hospital waiting lists.
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