Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
833. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of members of An Garda Síochána assigned to the Criminal Assets Bureau, for the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9987/26]
View answerThe 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 Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) has been at the forefront of fighting organised crime and disrupting the activities of criminals by depriving them of ill-gotten assets. CAB 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. In 2024 for example, more than €17 million was returned to the Exchequer arising from their work.
The table below outlines the number of Gardaí assigned to the Criminal Assets Bureau for the years 2021 - 2025.
|
Year |
Number of Garda members assigned |
|
2021 |
45 |
|
2022 |
37 |
|
2023 |
48 |
|
2024 |
51 |
|
2025 |
50 |
I was pleased to secure a 6.3% increase on the Criminal Assets Bureau budget allocation for 2026.
I am committed to ensuring that the Criminal Assets Bureau have the powers and resources to continue their important work. The Proceeds of Crime and Related Matters Bill is making its way through the Oireachtas currently. Once passed into law, the Criminal Assets Bureau will have stronger investigative powers and will be able to dispose of assets much more quickly than is currently the case.
