Retired Garda Detective Chief Superintendent Pat Byrne discusses the Criminal Assets Bureau from his experience as the agency's first Detective Inspector and later as its Chief Bureau Officer.

Established in 1996, CAB is a multi-agency body tasked with tackling proceeds of crime, unpaid taxes and fraudulently obtained welfare payments. Over the past 30 years, CAB has returned hundreds of millions of euro to the state.

Pat considers the foundation of CAB, inter-agency collaboration and how the Bureau has developed in the decades since its establishment.

Credits: RTE Archives.

Further Reading:

• https://www.cab.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CAB-Annual-Report-2024-Reduced-Size.pdf
• https://ww2.courts.ie/acc/alfresco/3688408c-450b-4914-83e0-33e721211054/2001_IESC_82_1.pdf/pdf#view=fitH
• https://www.dsps.unict.it/sites/default/files/Civil%20forfeiture%20in%20Ireland%20-%202%20decades.pdf
• https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1996-07-02/22/

Economist Colm McCarthy discusses infrastructure delivery, fiscal prudence, populism, accountability and more.

McCarthy was a member of the Expenditure Review Committee, often referred to as An Bord Snip, which was an advisory group established during a period of economic downturn in the 1980s to make recommendations to the the Irish government on cuts to state spending.

Colm later chaired the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, more commonly known as An Bord Snip Nua, which was a similar government advisory committee established following the financial crash in 2008.

Clip of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey's "living beyond our means" address courtesy of RTE Archives.

Further Reading:

• https://researchrepository.ucd.ie/entities/publication/3999d60c-439b-469e-89ec-44f347ba3bf2
• https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/bord-snip-nua-shows-government-is-getting-serious-1.916649
• https://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0716/119603-economy1/
• https://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0904/121438-economy/
• https://www.independent.ie/business/irish-business/no-hostage-to-fortune/a/150204933.html
• https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2017/1229/929051-state-papers-part-two/#:~:text=20.%20The%20first%20%22Bord%20Snip%22%C2%A0decides%20what%20to%20cut

Former Secretary General Brendan Tuohy discusses the Global Crossing project.

With major backing from the Irish government, Global Crossing involved building two transatlantic fibre-optic cables and compatible landing points in Ireland.

The Irish government pre-purchased capacity on the cables as an anchor customer, with major multinationals and telecoms carriers expected to buy the capacity later.

Ultimately, the Global Crossing project contributed to Ireland being an international connectivity hub with direct and cost-effective transatlantic fibre links.

Tuohy also speaks about broader topics such as trust, collaboration and accountability.

For our digest segment, Conor Igoe considers the significance of Global Crossing today in the context of artificial intelligence.

Credits: RTE Archives.

Further Reading:

• Transcript of Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee hearing:https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/committee_of_public_accounts/2003-11-27/2/#s4
• Report of the Comptroller and Auditor Generalhttps://archive.oireachtas.ie/2005/REPORT_20050700_3.html
• https://www.irishtimes.com/technology/2024/10/10/mary-orourke-laid-the-critical-groundwork-for-states-success-in-tech/