Gregory wants Cab to operate at local level

A suggestion that the work of the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) be more localised is to be considered by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell.

It was made by Tony Gregory (Ind, Dublin Central) who said that the Cab's centralised bureaucracy inevitably dealt with the high-profile cases, "the good PR image of the guy with the 10 big houses, or whatever, and never gets down to grips with the middle level".

Mr McDowell replied: "I take the deputy's point."

Earlier, Mr Gregory said there were drug dealers drawing social welfare and at the same time accumulating assets which they could clearly not possess on that level of income.

"That is the scenario, Minister, that fuels the drug-crime gangs who are killing one another. That is the way the gangs build up."

He said the Cab was set up to target people like that, whether it was their social welfare payments, their four-wheeled-drives, or their expensive holidays and so on. "It is not doing that at local level."

Mr Gregory asked why organised drug-crime had flourished and expanded throughout the State since the Cab was set up, if it was so brilliant at dealing with the issue.

"You cannot have it both ways. It is as clear as daylight that since 1996 drug-crime and drug-gangs, throughout Dublin and other cities around the country, have led to the scenario that it is so lucrative and that human life itself is valueless, with people shot dead for the most trivial of reasons."

Mr Gregory said practical measures, such as he was suggesting, would be far more productive than infringements on the right to silence and the various other unending legislative innovations which the Minister was introducing.

Going after the assets of the drug barons was essential if they were to get to grips with the problem, he added.

Mr McDowell said he had a good deal of sympathy with the points made by Mr Gregory.

He did know, from recent accounts of crimes given to him, that gardaí had gone to places where they had occurred and were surprised by the accumulation of physical possessions.

"I do take the deputy's point that, in those cases, there should be some follow-up."

Proceeds of crime should be taken into possession by gardaí, and he would take the matter up with the Garda Commissioner.