Since 2019, there has been a massive increase in fraudulent scams. I doubt there is a household in the country that has not been targeted. I have been raising this issue now for well over a year, but the Government has taken no action to address this threat. I do not understand why it is not acting on this.

Figures released today show that there was a 26% jump in fraudulent scams in the first half of last year, with victims scammed out of €8.6 million in the first six months. The Government still does not have a multi-annual strategy to deal with financial fraud. It was a key recommendation of the Hamilton report, a Government report produced three years ago. The Government still has not allowed the banks to have a shared fraud database to tackle fraudsters and protect consumers. The banks have been demanding that the Government allow this so they can share live information with the Garda regarding fraud. It is bonkers that we do not have that, and that legislation has not come from the Department of Justice in that regard. Despite the fact that other jurisdictions have taken action to sanction online platforms that host fraudulent content scams, there has been no action here whatsoever.

I thank the Deputy. I ask the Tánaiste to respond.

Why is the Government not taking any action on any of these matters that I have been raising for a year, despite an explosion in the number of scams and people having millions of euro stolen from them each year?

I will answer that. I thank Deputy Doherty for raising the issue. He has tabled a number of parliamentary questions on this issue, and we have discussed it previously. I reassure him that there is work on the way. My Department is working very closely with the Central Bank of Ireland and Department of Justice. There is legislation emerging at EU level as well, namely, Payment Services Directive 3, and there will be enhanced authentication requirements. I will set out in writing to the Deputy a comprehensive reply on the issue.

With respect, it is for the Department of Justice. Let us share the information about fraud.

Páirtí an Lucht Oibre.

It is ridiculous.

Deputy, please. Páirtí an Lucht Oibre.