Cab may be given powers to name criminals who make settlements

Reforms to allow for the names of criminals who make settlements with the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) to be made public may be introduced as part of a planned overhaul of the legislation underpinning the agency.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said providing Cab with new powers to publish the names and some other details of those who make settlements with the agency may act as a "deterrent" to criminals.

The proposal is included in a Department of Justice review of the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996, which underpins the work of Cab in tackling organised crime.

The review makes 22 different recommendations for changes and is expected to be published in the coming months.

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The Minister hopes to have draft legislation to introduce the reforms published by the coming Autumn, one source said.

Ms McEntee set out the planned change to name those who made settlements over their assets with Cab in an interview with the Irish Independent published on Tuesday.

“I think in some way it might and hopefully will act as a deterrent, but also very clearly show the community and the public who the Cab are dealing with, who they’re working with,” Ms McEntee said.

“Hopefully, that will in itself be something that strengthens the Cab a little bit further,” she said.

At present the Revenue Commissioners publish a list of tax defaulters every three months, which includes their names, address and occupation.

Cab was set up in 1996 and focuses on seizing property and assets obtained through criminal means.

Ms McEntee also proposed reducing the time between the High Court making an order to allow assets to be confiscated and the proceeds reaching the Exchequer.

Under the proposed reforms the time limit before a “disposal order” can be made would be cut from the current seven years to three-and-a-half years or less.

The Minister said the time lag at present was “too long” and allowed those targeted by Cab to enjoy the gains from their criminal activity in the meantime.

“What that essentially means is you could have a criminal whose house it has an order on it, but they can live in the house for seven years before it actually goes into the Exchequer and before anything can happen to it,” Ms McEntee said in the recent interview.