Sharon Keogan: Urges Faster Sale of Criminals' Properties
Sharon Keogan addressed the house pressing the Minister to speed up the sale of properties seized from criminals, especially drug barons, and to return those assets to productive use. She welcomed increased proceeds of crime funding and called for closer collaboration with An Garda Séachána to strengthen community safety.
Details of the request
Sharon Keogan told the Minister she was disappointed the measure was not at full and final stage today, and urged swifter action to stop properties owned by criminals from being left to rot. She said the sale of seized properties must be expedited so they can be restored and put back into good use.
Origins of the funding
Keogan highlighted that proceeds of crime funding was first championed by an independent councillor in County Louth, Councillor Paddy McQuillan, and noted the fund's increase from two million to four million this year. She thanked previous Ministers who took the proposal on board and acknowledged recent announcements that boost this funding stream.
Community safety and policing
Keogan stressed that building safer communities requires working hand in hand with An Garda Séachána. She described the strong relationship between citizens and the Gardaí, expressed disappointment over recent events affecting that relationship, and affirmed her full support for the Gardaí to do their job protecting citizens.
Next steps and expectations
While welcoming the Minister's bill and the measures introduced, Keogan said the legislation "can't come quick enough" and called for prompt progress to final stages so seized properties can be sold and put to use for the public good.
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And Minister, you're very welcome into the house today and to be quite honest I'm just disappointed that this is not at full and final stage today. For far too long the criminals in this country, particularly the drug criminals in this country, have been getting away with far too much and I'm absolutely delighted to see that you have, you're trying to expedite the sale of these properties belonging to these criminals and drug barons in this country. Those properties can be left for years as you well know, left to rot. So it's take them off them, get them sold and put them back into good use. So I'm delighted, I'm only disappointed that it's not coming quick enough and it's not going through those houses at full and final stages today. The proceeds of crime funding, that actual funding was led by an independent councillor in County Louth and all the independent councillors throughout this country actually called on that way back in 2021. It was led by Councillor Paddy McQuillan and thankfully the Minister at the time, Michelle McEntee, took that on board and that will make a massive difference to that funding that you've announced there and you've announced there previously over the last couple of years and it's going this year. It started off at two million, this year I think it's at four million. It has gone but you know how do we build safer communities and we can only do that in collaboration with An Garda Séachána. And this week I felt, Minister I'm literally just off the phone before I came up here to an inspector in my own area about property marking of all things. We in Ireland and the people and the citizens of Ireland, we have a great relationship with our Gardaí. They are the cornerstone of keeping us safe in our communities, day in day out. I was a bit disappointed last week to tell you, Minister, with what happened last week. I have to say I was disappointed and I've been a great champion of yours over the last, since you've taken office and I just was disappointed. I think we have a little bit of rebuilding to do now in relation to our Gardaí Séachána and our citizens. I will fully support An Gardaí to do their job to keep our citizens safe. I'll do that 24-7. This bill, I will fully support you in it and it can't come quick enough as far as I'm concerned and thank you very much for introducing this bill into the house today. Thank you.
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