I am pleased to introduce to the Senate the Proceeds of Crime and Related Matters Bill. As we all know, organised crime inflicts a huge amount of damage on communities and preys on vulnerable people. Behind it all is the fuelling of a ruthless drug trade. Too often, criminals blatantly flaunt their illicit wealth on our streets and that creates a corrosive culture where hard-working, law-abiding citizens feel the system is failing them while criminals operate beyond the reach of the law.

We know, on the basis of the strategy we have had in this country for nearly 30 years, that we go after and seize the assets of criminals. The strategy was initiated after the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin nearly 30 years ago. We should reflect on the great success of Ireland's pioneering framework that established the Proceeds of Crime Act in 1996 and the Criminal Assets Bureau Act of the same year. This is now an internationally recognised model and it is built on two foundational elements. First, there is a system of civil forfeiture that builds a case around the unlawful origin of assets. Also, the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, by bringing together the Garda, Revenue, social protection officers and other specialists, leverages cross-agency intelligence to target profit-driven criminality. To date, this approach has successfully seized over €220 million and returned it to the Exchequer.

This legislation introduces three central reforms to strip criminals of their assets much faster than is currently possible. First, after the High Court rules that an asset is derived from crime, the State must wait seven years before assuming final ownership through a disposal order. This Bill reduces that period to two years, ensuring criminals cannot continue to exploit their frozen ill-gotten gains.

Second, once an interlocutory order is made, the Bill will provide for the automatic appointment of a receiver, subject to the avoidance of a serious risk of injustice. This measure is expressly designed to secure immediate possession of the assets and deprive the respondent of any ongoing benefit and use of the property pending final disposal.

Third, this Bill equips the CAB with new mechanisms to freeze suspected illicit funds at the very earliest stages of an investigation. A new administrative payment-freezing direction can be issued by a senior bureau officer for up to seven days, while a payment-freezing order may be made by the District Court for a period of up to 90 days and may be renewed by the court for as long as it is deemed necessary and proportionate to do so. These tools empower CAB to act instantly on intelligence, thereby preventing the transfer or dissipation of money while a full investigation is conducted.

Crucially, these enhanced powers are carefully balanced with the protection of fundamental rights and are anchored by robust judicial oversight. The District Court will supervise the new powers for asset detention and account freezing. The High Court retains exclusive authority over major decisions such as appointing receivers and ordering final asset forfeiture. At every step in the process, a judge must be fully satisfied that the actions taken are reasonable, necessary and proportionate to prevent any serious risk of an injustice. Ultimately, these reforms will create a highly streamlined and effective system. The State will be far better equipped to swiftly deprive criminals of their wealth, disrupt their enterprises and redirect those funds back to the Exchequer for the benefit of all citizens.

At the heart of this effort is the community safety fund. This vital initiative redirects the proceeds of crime directly back into our communities. By doing so, we are able to fund innovative local projects that share a single unified goal, building stronger, safer communities. Since the fund’s launch in 2022 as the community safety innovation fund, we have seen the profound impact it can have. To date, it has successfully supported 127 community safety projects right across Ireland. The sheer volume and breadth of the applications we have received for the fund demonstrates beyond any doubt the immense value of this initiative. Applications for the 2026 community safety fund opened last Monday, 13 April, and the total fund value for 2026 is €4.75 million, which represents an increase of 58% since the fund was initially launched in 2022. I welcome applications from community safety initiatives. I remind Senators that they should inform their constituents or organisations that come within their responsibility of the fund that is available and how people can apply. You can make an application on my Department's website, because that is where the application form is available. Included are details on how to register for a webinar that will be held on 21 April. It aims to support organisations to prepare their applications.

I will now take Members briefly through the Bill and its specific sections. There are 19 sections in it.

Part 1 of the Bill comprises sections 1 and 2, which are standard provisions.

Part 2 of the Bill amends the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996. Section 4 amends section 1A of that Act. The latter section currently allows for the seizure and detention of movable property by CAB for an initial 24 hours, which can be extended for a further 21 days. Section 4 amends the provision to allow a CAB officer to apply to the District Court for further extensions of the detention period. The judge may authorise continued detention in increments not exceeding 28 days, up to a maximum aggregate time of 90 days, provided there are reasonable grounds to suspect the property represents proceeds of crime.

Section 5 introduces new powers to freeze financial accounts. A senior bureau officer can issue a payment-freezing direction to place an administrative freeze on the account for up to seven days, allowing time to conduct a preliminary investigation. Following this, CAB can apply to the District Court for a payment-freezing order for a period of up to 90 days.

Section 8 amends section 4 of the 1996 Act by cutting the waiting time required before the High Court can make a final disposal order to seize criminal assets from seven years down to just two years. This reform ensures that once the court has decided assets are derived from crime, they are seized much more quickly.

Section 9 is a consequential amendment to section 4A of the 1996 Act, which governs consent disposal orders. It removes the current time limitation, providing the flexibility for CAB and a respondent to agree to the forfeiture of an asset at any stage while an interlocutory order is in force, thereby avoiding needless litigation.

Section 11 strengthens the powers of receivership by amending section 7 of the 1996 Act. It creates a mandate for the court to appoint a receiver upon application when an interlocutory order is in force. The receiver's purpose is now explicitly enshrined in law as being to deprive the respondent of the ongoing benefit and use of the property.

In Part 2 there are also several technical and consequential amendments, set out in sections 6, 7, 10, 12, 13 and 14.

Part 3 of the Bill seeks to ensure that the broader legislative framework is aligned and effective. Section 15 amends the Schedule to the National Archives Act 1986 by adding the CAB to the list of bodies. Section 16 amends section 43 of the Criminal Justice Act 1994 to harmonise the definition of cash and bearer-negotiable instruments with Regulation (EU) 2018/1672. Section 17 amends the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996 to enhance the operational capacity of the bureau. First, it allows non-Garda experts in the bureau to attend and participate in Garda interviews. It also explicitly extends the anonymity protections for CAB officers to cover them even after they have ceased to be officers. Section 18 amends section 16 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act, mirroring the changes made in section 8.

Mirroring the changes made in section 8, this section reduces the waiting period before a disposal order can be made in relation to terrorist funds, from seven years to two years. Section 19 is a technical provision amending section 22 of the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018. It aligns anti-corruption legislation with the 1994 Act.

As the Bill passed through the Dáil, I noted the remarkable unanimity across that House. I suspect that will be here as well. Regardless of our political affiliations, we share a resolute determination to tackle organised crime, to dismantle the gangs that bring drugs and devastation into our communities and to ensure that in this State, crime does not pay.

There are a number of matters I intend to return to on Committee Stage and I will flag the most notable of these for the information of the House. The first concerns the transfer of the main domestic functions under Part 4 of the Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Act 2008, relating to the execution, enforcement and realisation of external confiscation orders from the office of the DPP to CAB. These amendments will not alter the underlying mutual assistance framework, the role of the central authority or the supervisory role of the High Court.

I also propose to introduce further amendments to specifically target and regulate crypto assets. This updated regime will equip law enforcement with tailored powers to freeze and seize these assets. Many details will merit debate and I look forward to working with Senators as the Bill progresses. We will have an opportunity on Committee Stage in the Seanad to look at a number of matters in terms of what the Bill does or does not cover. I commend this Bill to the House and I look forward to hearing what Senators have to say.

I welcome the Minister and his officials back to the House to discuss this very important legislation which the Minister is proposing to introduce. From a Fianna Fáil perspective, I welcome this debate and support this Bill. As we know, it is not always possible to get criminal convictions against criminals who are destroying our communities. However, we can bring them before the civil courts and seize the assets they have secured through criminal activity. These proceeds of crime should be taken from them and invested in the communities they are trying to destroy.

In the EU, estimated annual criminal revenues amount to €110 billion. This is equivalent to 1% of the EU's gross domestic product, GDP. In Ireland, the value of crime markets is €1.7 billion per annum, which is a staggering amount of money. Seizing proceeds - be they money, property or vehicles - from criminal individuals or organisations is central to combating organised crime. Organised crime is driven by money and the harder the State makes it to obtain, launder and keep that money, the weaker these organised groups will be.

I welcome that the Department of justice has conducted a detailed examination of this legislation, vitally informed, to my mind, by the CAB and other stakeholders, with their practical, day-to-day experience of the operation of the regime since its inception and by international developments and best practice. Based on this examination, it identified a series of recommendations for immediate change and for further consideration.

As the Minister outlined during his contribution, this legislation aims to strengthen the proceeds of crime laws to more effectively target organised crime and ensure that criminals cannot retain profits from illegal activity. Where criminal convictions are difficult to secure, civil proceedings will continue to be used to seize assets. This strategy has proven successful, with over €220 million denied to criminals by the Criminal Assets Bureau. I would like to pay tribute to the men and women of An Garda Síochána for their fearless work in this particular area and for the work they do on behalf of us all within our communities.

Criminals often flaunt their wealth, undermining public confidence and creating the perception that they operate beyond the law. The State's objective, is - and should always be- to deprive criminals of these assets, weaken their influence and protect our communities. Ireland's current model, which is based on civil forfeiture and the specialised work of the Criminal Assets Bureau, has been internationally recognised. However, this Bill introduces key reforms to improve that effectiveness even further. These include reducing the time required to permanently seize assets from seven years to two years and appointing receivers to manage seized assets once they are deemed to be the proceeds of crime. The Bill also proposes to introduce new powers to freeze suspected criminal funds early in an investigation. This includes short-term administrative freezing directions and court-approved freezing orders. These powers are balanced with strong judicial oversight to protect fundamental rights. Overall, this legislation aims to improve the State's ability to disrupt organised crime, seize illicit wealth and return funds to the public in the communities that they are trying to harm. As the Minister outlined, this is reflected in the community safety fund which he announced yesterday. This reinvests recovered money into local projects, with over €4 million allocated this year, which is double the initial funding. I would echo the Minister's words and encourage organisations the length and breadth of the country to apply for this fund. The money is there and can be used in a positive and constructive fashion within our communities.

I again thank the Minister for outlining the detail of the Bill. On behalf of my party I am very happy to support this legislation and I look forward to it passing through the House in a swift manner.

Thank you, Senator Gallagher. I now move to Senator Boyhan, who is sharing time with Senator Keogan. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I welcome the Minister. It is great to see him in the House. I think he is a permanent feature of the House.

I am everywhere.

So am I and I intend staying for a hell of a long time.

I thank the Minister for his ongoing engagement. I know it has been a difficult few days for the Government and for the Minister, who takes his responsibility seriously. I also thank the Minister's officials. I can say unequivocally that the Minister will have my full support for this Bill. I will not spend too long on this. It is the right thing to do. I want to acknowledge a few people before I say a few words about the Bill. I thank the Garda Commissioner and all of his staff. I particularly want to thank CAB for the amazing work it has done. It has been very difficult. We do not see or understand half of what is going on. However, we can take some confidence from the fact that agents of An Garda Síochána are working covertly and overtly on behalf of the security of this State, in liaison with Government and the appropriate contacts that are there. This is an assurance that we have. Throughout the State, An Garda Síochána has served us well. They are brave men and women who are highly articulate and highly trained, particularly in the intake of gardái in the last 20 to 25 years. There are equal opportunities in the force. It is a diverse force. It represents the people who live in our communities ethnically and culturally and all the diversity that goes with that. This enriches what policing should be all about. Core to this Bill is the fact that it is at the very heart of community safety and policing. It brings people to account. People hurt when it affects their pocket. After all, these are proceeds of crime. Let us be very clear what we are talking about and what we are dealing with.

I welcome the Minister's commitment to the community safety partnerships. They have been difficult to bed down. Some local authorities have had problems with them but since the Minister took on this portfolio, a lot of the things that were in abeyance for a long time have been ironed out. Some really able and capable people, many of them local authority members, signed up to the policing partnerships. Yes, they are evolving and I wish them well across the 31 local authorities in their important work. It is not only about elected people, it is also about leading stakeholders and people who are respected in their communities, in partnership. No one person has to be charged with all the responsibility. It must be cushioned and spread across our community, our community leaders and our stakeholders.

I am particularly impressed by the community safety fund, which opened on 13 April. We need to know more about the projects involved in it because we have to continue to sell the message that some of the funds from these activities will go into the community safety fund. I understand there is over €4 million currently in the fund. That is particularly good. Yes, we have a bit of work ongoing to tell people that they can apply for these funds and the criteria required. When people see the benefits of this fund in their own communities, they will get a sense of justice and a sense of support that the system is not all one way. For too long in the past, people have had grave reservations and a feeling that criminals have gone unhindered.

They are not going unhindered. We do not necessarily know the level of policing that is going on, but we can take confidence from what the Minister has been saying since he became Minister for justice. He is on the case. He does not have to be publicly on the case, when he is privately on a day-to-day basis. He is working collaboratively with people and I acknowledge that. The Minister will have my full support on this Bill.

The Minister is very welcome. To be quite honest, I am disappointed that this is not on full and Final Stage today. For far too long, criminals in this country, particularly the drug criminals, have been getting away with far too much. I am delighted to see that the Minister is trying to expedite the sale of properties belonging to criminals and drug barons in this country. Those properties can be left to rot for years, as the Minister knows. Let us take them off them, get them sold and put them back into good use. I am delighted. I am only disappointed that it is not coming quickly enough and is not going through the Houses to Final Stage today.

The proceeds of crime funding initiative was led by an Independent councillor in County Louth. All the Independent councillors throughout this country called for that way back in 2021. It was led by Councillor Paddy McQuillan. Thankfully, the Minister at the time, Helen McEntee, took that on board. The funding the Minister just announced, and which was announced previously over the last couple of years, will make a massive difference. It has grown this year. It started at €2 million and, this year, I think it is at €4 million. It has grown, but how do we build safer communities? We can only do that in collaboration with An Garda Síochána. I am literally just off the phone to an inspector in my area, before I came up here, about property marking, of all things. The citizens of Ireland 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 with what happened last week. I have been a great champion of the Minister's since he took office. I was disappointed. We have a little rebuilding to do now in relation to our Garda Síochána and our citizens. I will fully support the gardaí to do their job and keep our citizens safe. I will do that 24-7. I will fully support the Minister in this Bill, which cannot come quickly enough, as far as I am concerned. I thank the Minister for introducing this Bill to the House today.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire, an Teachta O'Callaghan. Gabhaim buíochas leis as ucht teacht isteach chun an Bille tábhachtach seo a phlé linn. In Ireland, as was said, we are fortunate to have what is internationally regarded to be one of the best systems of civil forfeiture, overseen and implemented by the Criminal Assets Bureau, which was established in 1996 by the then Minister for Justice, Nora Owen. The decisions to introduce the Proceeds of Crime Act and to establish the Criminal Assets Bureau came following the high-profile murders of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe in Adare by the provisional IRA and the courageous, well-respected and widely acclaimed investigative journalist, Veronica Guerin, whose pioneering and tenacious reporting had done so much to expose Dublin's drug cartels and those involved in organised crime. Both of these horrendous murders took place in the same month, June 1996. As well as being unimaginable tragedies for the families of the two victims, who had in their own ways done so much for the Irish State, both murders were also considered to have been serious attacks upon the State and the rule of law in Ireland. It was recognised that a new and more effective approach needed to be taken against those involved in organised crime and terrorist and paramilitary activities by hitting them where it hurt, increasing powers to seize assets, undermining and weakening criminal networks, and preventing the further investment of the proceeds of crime.

The establishment of the Criminal Assets Bureau was, at the time, an example of close co-operation between Ministers in different Departments. I know, having spoken with former Minister for Justice, Nora Owen, that she would give an awful lot of credit to the then Minister for Finance, Ruairí Quinn, with whom she worked closely to ensure that what was being delivered was robust and effective. That it has stood the test of time is a testament to both of them and their close co-operation together in government. The fact is that it came as a result of a multi-agency approach. Huge credit must be given, both for the establishment of the Criminal Assets Bureau and its success over the past three decades, to the work of An Garda Síochána, as has been acknowledged, and to Revenue for its collaboration with what was the Department of Social Welfare and is now the Department of Social Protection. As an example of collaborative work yielding such positive results, it cannot be overstated.

Given the success of the Criminal Assets Bureau, it is hard to imagine that at the time of its establishment, it was not universally welcomed as a necessary and positive move in the right direction to target those involved in organised crime, but was looked upon by some as being anti-human rights and civil liberties. In this regard, it is important to acknowledge the rights of all people to do what they want themselves with their own money, but only as long as this money has been earned or received legally. When this legislation was initially introduced, I understand there was a limit on bank deposits of somewhere in the region of £13,000, but that was circumvented by people looking to lodge lesser amounts. That emphasises the importance of the continuing evolution and review of legislation, which is what we are doing today. It is very important that we have the likes of sunset clauses, where necessary, that we review and refresh legislation, reflect upon the sophistication of organised crime groups, and make every effort possible to ensure that the legislation continues to be robust and effective into the future.

Like my colleagues, I welcome the changes that are being proposed, in particular the expedition in the seizing of illegally acquired assets from serious criminals, the closing-off of avenues to delay and obstruct the legal process, and enhancing the investigative powers of the Criminal Assets Bureau. I look forward to looking into the 19 sections in more detail in the later Stages of the Bill. On behalf of the Fine Gael group, I welcome the changes being proposed.

I, too, welcome the Minister to the House. He is a very positive contributor as a Minister. If only every other Minister were. I know it has been a difficult week, but that is politics and the joys and challenges of being in government. I know the Minister understands that and stands up to the plate when it comes to that.

I consider this legislation is evolving in the sense that proceeds of crime and the mechanisms that criminal gangs use are constantly evolving and changing. We need to evolve and change our legislative framework to take account of that. Back in 1996, when Veronica Guerin was killed, I remember where I was. I was working in my father's shop in County Clare and a customer told me what had happened. Veronica Guerin had been in the news a lot prior to that because there had been a couple of attempts and threats on her. The sense of revulsion at the time created a major incident in government, which was responded to quickly by Nora Owen, who established the Criminal Assets Bureau. It was pioneering at the time and has proven to be one of the most effective tools we have in this country against organised crime.

If you take away their wealth and what they cause crime for, you deal them a body blow. That is what the legislation has done.

I was in the Chamber in 2016 when we amended the Act introduced in the mid-1990s. At that time, CAB could seize property valued at €13,000 and over. The case made at the time by the Minister and Senators, and the view among the public, was that CAB was dealing with the upper echelons of crime. As we know, there are small crime gangs the length and breadth of the country that wreak havoc in communities. Reducing the threshold from €13,000 to €5,000, as was done in 2016, made a significant difference to the reach and relevance of CAB for ordinary communities around the country. As I have said previously, CAB has been emulated by other jurisdictions because they have seen the success it has had.

What impresses me about this legislation is that it is evolving. It introduces the whole area of crypto and reduces from seven years to two years the wait time for disposing of assets seized as a result of organised crime. That moves and modernising the law. The cautiousness of previous Bills is no longer necessary because CAB is now seen as a standard pillar of our justice system. For this reason, we need to be a bit liberal in pushing the boat out on what can be done. I agree that reducing the time to dispose of an asset from seven years to two years is appropriate because the values of assets can go up or down. We may as well deal with them in real time where possible.

If CAB requires the Oireachtas to continue amending the legislation to take account of developing trends, structures, systems and so on, and if we need to take a broad discretionary approach in regard to facilitating CAB in what it does so well, the Houses should not be found wanting in equipping it. Ireland was the standard-bearer in the nineties and early noughties in regard to proceeds of crime legislation. We should continue to be the flag-bearer in ensuring our legislation is effective, focused and meaningful and that we change it in real time to the greatest extent possible. I am glad there is support throughout the House for this very sensible, prudent and effective legislation.

I welcome the Aire. Sinn Féin welcomes the Bill and the measures contained in it. We will support anything that makes it harder for criminals to profit from their actions and easier for the State to take back assets. Reducing the term between an interim and final disposal order, strengthening the ability to freeze funds and limiting the ability to delay proceedings are all positive steps.

For over 15 years, Sinn Féin has argued that proceeds of crime should be directed back into communities. In 2021, my colleagues, Deputies Mark Ward and Ruairí Ó Murchú, introduced legislation to ensure that these funds go directly into our drug task forces, youth clubs and family centres. We are, therefore, glad to see the setting up of the Government's community safety fund. While the community safety fund is a step in the right direction, a fund of €4 million simply does not match the scale of the problem, and we have to look at that.

In communities across the country, groups are doing incredible work but they are on shoestring budgets. The funds recovered from proceeds of crime should be invested directly back into the communities that have been most impacted by crime - in youth services, family supports and addiction and recovery services. We know the reality on the ground. Where there is deprivation, organised crime takes hold. Where people feel left behind, addiction and exploitation follow, and criminals know exactly where to go to take advantage of that. That is why community investment is essential here.

I see great work being done every single day in County Laois by groups such as the ARC Project recovery centre in Portlaoise, which supports people in recovery, helping them rebuild their lives and giving real hope back to individuals and families. This work is absolutely priceless but, too often, it is underfunded. These are the groups for which we need to look at matching funding and bringing funding to them. Community groups and services are asking for something very simple, namely, proper resources and support, and that the Government will listen and be a voice for them. We also need to ensure that the funding goes exactly where it is needed most. This means we have to link it to the areas of deprivation, not just to who can write the best applications. I hope we can find a way of getting funding directly into the communities that need it most because the communities that have suffered most from crime must be the ones that benefit from the proceeds of crime.

We also need to look at prevention in a more serious way. There is still not enough being done to break the cycle. We are not doing enough to challenge the so-called lifestyle that draws young people into criminal activity and we are not doing enough to intervene early. That is why Sinn Féin has called for the exploration of the idea of having a mini CAB to target low-level criminality and the vision mismatch between income and lifestyle. When this Bill was introduced in the Dáil, my colleague, Deputy Mark Ward, brought forward an amendment based on a recommendation from the justice committee, which stated that the committee recommends further examination of the use of funds recovered from proceeds of crime and how such funds could be invested. Through the provision of preventative supports within communities, that recommendation made sense then and it makes more sense now. We really have to look at getting in there, nipping this in the bud at the beginning. We need to stop making this lifestyle so attractive to youngsters in these deprived areas. I urge the Minister to look at whether there is more we can do here. I understand we need to be serious about tackling crime and that the Minister has a massive focus on this issue. This is an area we have to take another look at.

Across the country, there are communities full of decent, hard-working people but they are fed up. They are fed up with gangs, drugs and seeing young people pulled into a life that leads nowhere. These communities are not giving up, however. They are stepping up and they deserve to be heard by this Government when they cry out for more resources and multi-annual funding so they can plan ahead.

I welcome to the Visitors Gallery Deputy John Connolly and his visitors to the House. They are very welcome to Seanad Éireann.

I apologise for missing my slot. I was held up at other important business in the dining room.

The Senator is forgiven.

Notwithstanding that, the phrase "pushing at an open door" comes to mind in relation to this legislation. I am speaking on behalf of the Seanad Independent Group. I think there is a general, across-the-board welcome for the Bill. I am delighted to see the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, here again. He assiduously attends our meetings and all the Senators who I am aware of are deeply appreciative of the fact that he comes so frequently to the Seanad. It is good to see him again.

There are a couple of things I might ask the Minister to keep an eye on as this legislation progresses. Four or five months ago, we had a very interesting exchange in the House with the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, in relation to forestry and the possibility of using the forestry and horticulture breakout - I have just realised what a bad choice of word that is - with the Prison Service, based on the exemplar of Rikers Island, where the residents are given an opportunity to study for horticultural qualifications, engaging with the forestry service in various states in the United States.

I hope we can progress that. There is initial interest from the Prison Service, which we have been in touch with. The Minister of State is intrigued by the idea. I hope the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, will look kindly on it, if we can move it along. We all know the Prison Service is having great difficulty in containing the numbers. It would be beneficial for society and prisoners in general if the less pernicious prisoners in incarceration could be allowed to develop their skills, make a useful contribution to outside life in the future and make a living professionally.

I have been looking at the confiscated assets legislation in Australia, which has a much more ambitious way of redistributing the proceeds of crime. It talks about building up the national DNA base, which is something we could look at here. There is also the whole question of cybercrime and the cyber induction of our younger people. Australia has a policy initiative called ThinkUKnow, which directs its attention to young people through a national campaign to make them aware of how easily they can be drawn into degradation. There is also the area of human trafficking. Of course, those of us who come from a local authority background would love to see the possibility of disbursing some of the moneys to local authorities and NGOs.

I welcome the initiative and the proposed legislation. Other colleagues have referred to reducing the time from seven years to two years, which is significantly sensible. I would applaud that.

I thank all Senators for their contributions and, more importantly, for their support. It is my job to be here when I am bringing legislation through the Houses, so it is important that I am here. I have great support from my two Ministers of State, Deputies Colm Brophy and Niall Collins. It is a fundamental requirement for all the members of the Government to attend the Houses of the Oireachtas because they are the lawmaking entity under the Constitution.

I will deal with some of the very useful contributions that have been made. I agree with Senator Gallagher when he says that criminal convictions can be very hard to secure. We see the difficulty that gardaí have to go through during investigations, and it can take time for them to happen. I welcome the fact that this legislation recognises that civil forfeiture is sometimes the way to go, as opposed to circumstances where a criminal conviction cannot be secured against the person who is the brains behind the crime.

I thank Senator Boyhan for his contribution. It is great to hear so many Senators being in favour of the legislation. Again, it is illustrative of the support that exists for An Garda Síochána that the money going back from CAB into the community is representative of the fact that the criminal proceeds are made at the outset from the people of that community.

Senator Keogan spoke about crypto assets. As I mentioned in my contribution, crypto assets will be dealt with on Committee Stage, the amending stage in the Seanad. It is important that we cover crypto assets.

I thank Senator Kelleher for what he said about CAB. It is important that CAB is given public support, as it has been. It was very much an innovative solution when it was introduced nearly 30 years ago.

Senator Martin Conway also mentioned crypto assets. As I have indicated, this is very important, and amendments will be made in respect of that.

I welcome Senator McCormack's support. Lifestyle is being challenged. CAB will go after lower amounts of the proceeds of criminal activity, so it is not limited to the large criminals. If Members look at the annual report of CAB, which reports to me, they will see the type of assets it has seized. They are very much everyday assets that are flaunted by criminals in their use of the proceeds of crime.

I am sorry for interrupting Senator Joe Conway's business in the dining room, but I hear what he said about the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan. I will speak to him in respect of that, and get some further information from him.

When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Next Tuesday.

Is that agreed? Agreed.