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Justice Minister in favour of higher rate of tax for convicted drug dealers

While changes to the tax system for criminals is not presently being considered, Helen McEntee said the idea “wouldn’t be a bad thing”.

THE MINISTER FOR Justice Helen McEntee said she would personally be in favour of drug dealers paying a higher rate of tax on their earnings after it emerged they pay the same rates of tax as ordinary law-abiding workers.

When asked by reporters if drug dealers should be taxed at a higher tax rate, Minister McEntee said “it wouldn’t be a bad thing”.

“If that’s something that needs to be done, it would have to be done in consultation with, and in conjunction with my colleagues and government,” McEntee told reporters during a press briefing at the Garda Training College, Templemore, when discussing the publication of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) annual report 2021.

McEntee – who is bringing forward legislation to cut the current seven-year timeframe in half, before CAB can transfer money to the exchequer in contested cases – said that while changes to the tax system for criminals was not presently being considered by the government, “that’s not to say in the future, it’s not something that won’t ever be looked at”.

The CAB, which identifies and seizes assets suspected to have had been purchased with the proceeds of crime, stated in its annual report that it had deprived criminals of almost €11 million in 2021, returned €5.5 million to the exchequer, and recouped €5.5 million to six victims of cryptocurrency theft.

CAB, set up 26 years ago following the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, killed by members of the John Gilligan drug mob after her work shone a spotlight on the activities of Ireland’s drug barons, identified around 24 drug dealers last year as owing more than €3 million in tax.

CAB said it also recouped around €250,000 from another 33 drug dealers last year.

Between 1996 and 2021, the bureau has returned a total of €204 million to the exchequer, comprising €165 million in tax settlements; €33 million in proceeds of crime; and €6 million in social welfare recoupments.

In total, over 360 proceeds of crime cases have been brought to the courts, involving almost €170 million in alleged crime assets.

Chief Bureau Officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Gubbins told reporters that CAB had 61 houses under its control at the start of this year, and had confiscated over 80 cars with suspected links to money laundering through the motor trade.

Detective Chief Superintendent Gubbins said CAB had trained “over 100 extra divisional Asset Profilers” – agents who identify CAB targets – with the force, the Department of Social Protection and Revenue, and other agencies bringing the total number of profilers to “over 552”.

Gubbins said the ordinary members of the public are the eyes and ears of CAB and thanked them for providing hundreds of tip offs to CAB in 2021.

“Some people phone us, some email us, some write to us; sometimes it’s a short note, other times it’s a large dossier, and, in 2021 we had 321 of those Good Citizen Reports as we like to call them, and they are very important to us, they give us additional information or sometimes they can identify an additional target,” he added.

Asked what percentage drug dealers and other criminals are taxed on their income, Gubbins replied: “They’re taxed at the normal rate (as the same as everybody else), yes.”

Asked if he personally felt that this was right or if drug dealers should pay a higher tax rate, Gubbins replied: “That’s the rate that is there and that is the system that we work with.”

Asked if he would like to see it overhauled against the criminal, Gubbins continued, “we use the Revenue metrics and system in place to tax them, so unless somebody else wants to change (it)..but for now we use that system”.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris was also asked if he would like to see drug dealers pay a higher rate of tax and said: “Well, I have to say taxation is not my speciality. But what has already been brought forward is actually the the proposal around the publication of individuals who’ve been dealt with through CAB and down who have made a return in respect of taxation.”

“Obviously taxation is pursued as one tactic, they’re are other tactics as well as to the proceeds of crime, that happens in the public arena and people see the consequences of that. The actual tax rates are not my speciality. I can’t comment on those,” said Harris.

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    Mute Alan Rossiter
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    Mar 18th 2020, 3:54 PM

    The cynic in me thinks that Arlene is digging her heals in just to show she is British and therefore will not do the same as the Irish, but will do the same as the British even if that is not what NI citizens want her to do. The Scots and Welsh closing the schools gives her the opportunity to show she is as British as the Scots and Welsh. A ladder to climb down.

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    Mute Tom Kelly
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    Mar 18th 2020, 3:57 PM

    @Alan Rossiter: is say your statement is a statement of fact!

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    Mute 2thFairy
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    Mar 18th 2020, 3:59 PM

    @Alan Rossiter: couldn’t agree more. The DUPs will happily risk everything. With Brexit they risked people’s livelihoods and now with the virus they risk people’s lives. All in an effort to prove/remain being British

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    Mute Emer Caffrey
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    Mar 18th 2020, 4:59 PM

    @Alan Rossiter: Arlene will do as Boris says

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    Mute Aidan Haughey
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    Mar 18th 2020, 5:46 PM

    @Alan Rossiter: had my children out anyway. They go to school in Tyrone. Take the power out off her hands. Seriously tricky ppl.

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Mar 18th 2020, 6:02 PM

    @Alan Rossiter: BJ caved in! Well done Scotland and NI :)

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    Mute John Murphy
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    Mar 18th 2020, 3:50 PM

    About time.
    The north won’t close until Westminster tells them though.

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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    Mar 18th 2020, 5:34 PM

    @John Murphy: Snalene will now do as she’s told and not what was best for keeping this whole island safe. She will be remembered for doing nothing what a great leader.

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    Mute SFAnkleTapper
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    Mar 18th 2020, 6:14 PM

    @John Murphy: it’s not unprecedented…plenty of countries have done it already.

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    Mute sean de paore
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    Mar 18th 2020, 4:00 PM

    Dáil Éireann 1-0 Northern Ireland Assembly
    Who said there was no sport

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    Mute paul
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    Mar 18th 2020, 7:15 PM

    The extra week the UK had has been used for teachers to prepare student home course work and allow the parents to plan child care arrangements. There are no right answers here, there is no playbook to consult and its not a point scoring game . Its not about stopping the virus its about managing it so that health services can keep going.

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    Mute Stephen Rogan
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    Mar 18th 2020, 4:38 PM

    Is that my horse running down the road? I’d better close the barn door so.

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    Mute David Glynn
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    Mar 18th 2020, 4:37 PM

    About time too. The North has been reckless with our health and safety. Wetherspoons and Filthys PUBS open in Belfast on Paddy’s day. On RTE news. As we an island with significant cross movements, direct bus and train links, we cannot let this go. A leading virologist at Queen’s said yesterday that due to poor testing regimes up to 3000 people could be infected now in the NORTH. Irish government needs to sort this out with Westminster. No repetition. Hop virologist is wrong. Soon find out.Titanic Centre closed/ staff illness.Try tracing its customers. Executive from at first at one subsequently divided on the issue
    We cannot allow the Tory government to effectively undermine our trojan efforts to deal with the virus. We must be treated as an island for health safety purposes.Never again.

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    Mute Charles McCarthy
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    Mar 18th 2020, 4:52 PM

    Our Strategy seems at odds with the UK & NI. Based on this would it not be prudent to shut down our exposure to the UK by way of Flights and Sea travel?
    Only facilitate the movement of Goods and those who need to return home.

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    Mute David Glynn
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    Mar 18th 2020, 6:10 PM

    @Charles McCarthy: But they can fly into the North and come in that way or by ferry.

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    Mute DeWitt
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    Mar 18th 2020, 7:25 PM

    @Charles McCarthy: build the wall

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    Mute Brian Murphy
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    Mar 18th 2020, 5:26 PM

    How dare ye try and tell us brits what to do…….our egos cant take it.

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    Mute Anne Marie Devlin
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    Mar 18th 2020, 6:07 PM

    Closed now. A case of coronavirus in my niece’s school and the original plan was to close until Monday for a deep clean. My niece is experiencing symptoms and cannot get tested. Her mother is a public health nurse and has been instructed to continue working. Madness

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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Mar 18th 2020, 5:19 PM

    Slow learners

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    Mute Skinny
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    Mar 18th 2020, 5:29 PM

    Finally!!! It took long enough!!!

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    Mute mrbryanrussell
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    Mar 18th 2020, 5:21 PM

    Took long enough but that’s all schools on islands shut now.

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    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
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    Mar 18th 2020, 5:22 PM

    Thank goodness for that!

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    Mute pat seery
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    Mar 18th 2020, 5:26 PM

    Poor Arlene too little too late

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    Mute MickN
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    Mar 18th 2020, 4:31 PM

    NI hang your head in shame…

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    Mute alphasully
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    Mar 18th 2020, 5:31 PM

    @MickN: DUP, UUP and Alliance. the nationalist party’s said they should close

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    Mute Seld Employed Anarchist
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    Mar 18th 2020, 5:53 PM

    Arnold won’t be happy

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    Mute Dylan Moran
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    Mar 18th 2020, 6:13 PM

    @Seld Employed Anarchist: was he ever happy?

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    Mute Tanks a Minion
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    Mar 18th 2020, 7:38 PM

    Australia keeps its schools open. Apparently, Aussie politicians want us to be another Italy. We had plenty warning but have chosen to ignore it.

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    Mute mary o dwyer
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    Mar 18th 2020, 6:42 PM

    I don’t think the proposed plan to allow the children of healthcare workers in N Ireland to be cared for in yet to decided on buildings in groups is maybe a good idea but completely understand the need to help the health workers as the elderly need protection too .China found that 15-17% of the covid 19 cases was among healthcare workers there . It could mean that if children or their parents in these groups contracted the disease and all the children are together potentially many of the parents could then become contacts if certain scenarios arose and then many healthcare workers be required to stay home or worse case scenario bring the virus from infected children in the group in to their patients as children often have little or no symptoms . Difficult situation to arrange .

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    Mute Wade Wilson
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    Mar 19th 2020, 2:30 PM

    I wonder how many people will die because Arlene was more worried about appearing to be more british than she was about the lives of the people of northern ireland

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