Danny Healy-Rae on drug crime measures and bank PEP checks
Danny Healy-Rae spoke in a parliamentary debate, supporting measures to impede criminals and to tackle drug-related crime. He also raised concerns about banks designating deputies and councillors as politically exposed people and requiring TE forms.
Support for stronger action
Danny Healy-Rae said he supports any measures that will be taken to impede criminals, especially drug laws, arguing that cutting off funding and apprehending those involved is vital. He described the daily drug-related violence in the city and urged elected representatives to back laws aimed at stopping it.
Objection to bank PEP designation
He expressed frustration that banks are now requesting TEs and treating deputies and councillors as politically exposed people, requiring them to sign related documents. He said he resents being targeted in that fashion after holding the same accounts for many years.
Expectation of bank monitoring instead of forms
Danny Healy-Rae argued that modern banking systems should detect unusual transactions and notify the relevant authorities - Gardaí, CAB or others - without requiring elected representatives to sign PEP declarations. He said such notification would be sufficient and more appropriate.
Impact on deputies and families
He warned that the practice is happening to other deputies and their families and described the requirement as unfair on all politicians. He maintained that he does not consider himself politically exposed and reiterated his opposition to being singled out for additional paperwork.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Thank you very much, Chairman. I have little to say on this, but I support any measures that will be taken to impede criminals, especially drug laws who are dealing with massive sums of money, and any way that they can be apprehended or slowed down and take their funding from them and get them out of the scene. I would support that, and I think that's one of the biggest issues that we all have to deal with today is the situation with drugs and the amounts of money that are involved, and when we're here and see the slaughter that happens here in this city day after day, and it's all drug-related, any way that we can stop that, we as elected representatives would have to support any laws that are being brought in to stop that. However, I have a small bit of a gripe myself, and I know that it's happening to other deputies and deputies families as well, where the banks are now requesting TEs, and indeed councillors, that they're considered politically exposed people, and that they have to sign documents in relation to that. I resent that request, and to be targeted in that fashion, because, I mean, I have the same couple of accounts with the last, God knows how many years, and to think at this stage now, surely the bank is able to, with all the modern equipment they have now, right away, if something unusual went in after this many years, and into my account, they will be able to notify, and I think they're entitled to notify, and I think they're entitled to notify the Gardaí, or the relevant, or CAB, or whatever, the relevant authorities, and I think that's sufficient, and I think it's unfair, and I think it's unfair on all politicians, to be treated in this fashion, to be asked to sign something, that were considered politically exposed people. I don't consider myself one anywhere, because I make up my own mind, and I am sharing time with... for example....
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
