Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentation and I agree with their recommendations. We have tried to increase taxation on packets of cigarettes and put the revenue towards the health system and the consequences of an addiction to nicotine and cigarette smoking. Huge progress has been made internationally in this battle, particularly in recent decades. This trade fundamentally undermines this and makes a mockery of what we are trying to do. Anything that can be done to increase the armoury of An Garda Síochána and the Revenue to tackle this must be done. I must commend the witnesses on their offer to contribute financially towards this. It would be very welcome. Have the witnesses engaged with the Minister, Deputy Alan Shatter, on these matters? Have they made a submission on these very solid and practical proposals?

As somebody would describe himself as an Irish republican, anybody involved in diesel laundering or cigarette smuggling does not deserve the name republican in any way shape or form. It is up to themselves if they want to call themselves republican dissidents, but they are not republicans. A republican is of the people and acts in the interests of the people, and they do not act in either. They are criminals and the Garda Síochána and the PSNI should be given every bit of armoury to track them down and take them out of the equation.

Unfortunately in many European countries and other places overseas one can purchase large numbers of cigarettes and take them home. What do the witnesses think of people filling their suitcases with cigarettes and bringing them home and taking their own initiative? What can we do to tackle this? The witnesses have made a superb presentation and I cannot disagree with anything they have said. I would like to think the committee will do all it can to assist them in their endeavours. The issue they are raising is making a mockery of what we are supposed to be trying to achieve. Well done.