Sir, - The publication of the FG private members' Bill on the above, and your Editorial of March 26th, cause me to write this letter.
On January 2nd 1993 I, as chairman of the Government Advisory Committee on Fraud, presented our report to Padraig Flynn TD, who had established that committee some six months earlier. Some few months later the report and its 58 recommendations (all unanimous) was brought to Cabinet by Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, Mr Flynn's successor as Minister for Justice. Mr Flynn had retired as Minister for Justice on the afternoon of the day on which he was presented with the report to take up his position as Commissioner in Brussels.
I have reason to believe that the fraud report has been brought to Cabinet by each successive Minister for Justice with the same result, approval.
Over the six years since the fraud report was presented, innumerable press releases have been issued by Ministers, references made in speeches and interviews about the Government getting tough on fraud and that there would be "no hiding place in Ireland for fraudsters", etc.
Regrettably, in those six years only about five of the 58 recommendations in the report have been implemented. They all had to do with the establishment of the very successful Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation which was achieved whilst Nora Owen was Minister for Justice.
It is, I sincerely hope, not too much to hope that with the publication of the FG Bill on corruption, Government and Opposition can now co-operate in order to efficiently, effectively, and expeditiously put the required and urgently necessary legislation in place as recommended unanimously in the fraud report, six years ago, before it is too late. - Yours, etc., Peter D. Maguire, SC,
Hampton Crescent, St Helen's Wood, Booterstown, Co Dublin.