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Home > Dail Eireann debate. Written answers 204-215 & 253 - Customs and Excise controls.

[Oireachtas] Dail Eireann debate. Written answers 204-215 & 253 - Customs and Excise controls. (29 Jan 2013)

External website: http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20a...


204. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide in tabular format, the funding provided to curb tobacco smuggling each year, since and including, 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4149/13]
205. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will to provide in tabular format, the number of cigarettes seized by customs each year since and including 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4150/13]
206. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide in tabular format, the funding provided to curb the illegal importation of psychoactive substances, since and including 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4152/13]
207. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a breakdown in tabular format, of the number/total weight of psychoactive substances seized by customs each year since and including 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4153/13]
208. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a breakdown in tabular form of the number/total weight of narcotic drugs seized by customs each year since and including 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4154/13]
209. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide in tabular form the funding provided to curb the illegal importation of narcotic drugs, since and including, 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4155/13]
210. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a breakdown in tabular form of the total number of illegal firearms seized by Customs each year since and including 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4156/13]
211. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide in tabular form the funding provided to curb the illegal importation of firearms, since and including 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4157/13]
212. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a breakdown in tabular format of the total number of illegal bullets seized by Customs each year since and including 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4158/13]
213. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide in tabular form the funding provided to curb the illegal importation of bullets, since and including, 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4159/13]
214. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a breakdown in tabular form of the total number of offensive weapons seized by Customs each year since and including 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4160/13]
215. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide in tabular form the funding provided to curb the illegal importation of offensive weapons, since and including 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4161/13]
253. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance if he will to provide in tabular format, the total sum saved to the Exchequer each year since and including 2005 due to successful tobacco seizures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4151/13] 

Minister for Finance (Deputy Michael Noonan): I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 to 215, inclusive, and 253 together.

 
I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the table below contains the information requested by the Deputy in respect of seizures by their enforcement officers of firearms, bullets, offensive weapons, psychoactive substances, narcotic drugs and cigarettes, for the years 2005 to 2012.
 

-

Firearms

Bullets
Offensive Weapons
Psychoactive Substances
Narcotic
Drugs
Cigarettes
Cigarettes
-
Quantity
Quantity
Quantity
Quantity
Quantity
Quantity
Tax
at risk
2005
1
0
0
*
4,516 kgs
51.3m
€12.6m
2006
1
500
1
*
751 kgs
52.3m
€14.4m
2007
59
5,517 + 5 packages
100
*
4,340 kgs
74.5m
€21.7m
2008
84
19,531
87
*
5,597 kgs
135.2m
.€39.5m
2009
90
868 + 5 packages
218
*
3,936 kgs
218.5m
€73.3m
2010
10
0
242
29.65 kgs
531 kgs
178.40m
€59.8m
2011
16
20 packages
386
35.90 kgs
2,588 kgs
109.1m
€36.6m
2012
88
110
264
14.19 kgs
2,129 kgs
95.6m
€34.3m
* Prior to introduction of Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010.
 
With regard to the Deputy's question on the funding provided to curb the illegal importation of the listed commodities and narcotic drugs for the years in question, I am advised that Revenue is an integrated tax and customs administration and it is not possible to disaggregate staffing resources deployed exclusively on policing the importation of these individual products. The Revenue Commissioners have around 2,000 staff engaged on activities that are dedicated to target and confront non-compliance. These activities include anti-smuggling, audit, assurance checks, debt management, investigations, prosecutions and anti-avoidance. The Commissioners advise me that non-staff enforcement equipment expenditure on the purchase and supply of vehicles, maritime cutters, detector dogs, radio equipment, scanners etc for the years in question are shown in the table immediately below.
ANTI-SMUGGLING NON PAY COSTS 2005-2012
TOTAL
2005
2866,692
2006
2,689,461
2007
1,543,728
2008
4,173,134
2009
3,345,175
2010
2,424,880
2011
2,688,059
2012
3,421,777
With regard to the costs of staff employed on targeting non-compliance, I am advised that Revenue operates a number of programmes based on strategic priorities as set down in its Statement of Strategies that are applicable over given periods of time. For operational and effective management the funding and resources assigned to 'programmes' are interdependent, with staffing resources redeployed across programmes according to the time of year and business needs.
 
Dail Eireann debate - Customs and excise controls
Vol. 790 No. 1
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Item Type
Dail Debates
Publication Type
Irish-related
Drug Type
All substances
Intervention Type
Crime prevention
Source
Oireachtas
Date
29 January 2013
EndNote
View
Subjects
MM-MO Crime and law > Substance related offence > Drug offence > Illegal drug possession (seizures)
VA Geographic area > Europe > Ireland
MM-MO Crime and law > Substance related offence > Drug offence > Illegal transportation of drugs (smuggling / trafficking)
MM-MO Crime and law > Substance related offence > Tobacco offence
MM-MO Crime and law > Justice system > Justice / enforcement agency
MM-MO Crime and law > Crime > Substance related crime > Crime associated with substance production and distribution

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