Mr. Chris Fitzgerald:

I do not want to speak for colleagues in Revenue or the Garda.

Nevertheless, the conversations we have suggest they are taking it very seriously. The illicit trade discussion has taken place on a number of levels and I have referred to the framework convention on tobacco control, which has 180 countries signed up to it. A new protocol on illicit trade was adopted at the last meeting of the framework convention in South Korea in November. We are party to this. At the EU level there is a specific provision within the directive to tighten up on tracking and tracing, which should address illicit trade. There are other issues relating to the daily management of this and we are not in a position to comment on them. The Department of Health wants to see the issue addressed in tandem with what we are doing with health provisions.