Outgoing Director of Corporate Enforcement Paul Appleby has said gardaí should be allowed more time to question people suspected of committing white-collar crime.
Mr Appleby, who stepped down from his position today, said that a change in the law to allow this would benefit the fight against corporate crime.
He said potential suspects faced a lot of questions and the current 24-hour period of detention was a very challenging time frame.
Mr Appleby noted that those suspected of drugs and other offences could be held for up to seven days.
Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has said that detention powers for white-collar crime need to be further examined.
Mr Shatter said he was aware Mr Appleby had raised the issue today.
The minister said a further examination was warranted to investigate whether existing detention powers were adequate for complex investigations.
Minister Shatter also said he had raised the matter with Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan.
Mr Appleby was Ireland's first Director of Corporate Enforcement when the office to target company crime was established in 2002.
His inquiries into National Irish Bank saw the office's profile rise in its early days.
Mr Appleby’s investigators and gardaí have been examining various activities at Anglo Irish Bank for much of the last four years.
He said that work has been concluded.
Despite unease at the length of time taken, and at one point the queries of a High Court judge, Mr Appleby defended what he said was a robust investigation.
His successor, Ian Drennan, who heads up another regulatory body, the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority, takes over tomorrow.
