Mr. John O'Driscoll:

The Chairman is correct that Customs and Excise is the main player in this area.

We also seize cigarettes. Very often, they are on the street, as distinct from the larger quantities detected by Customs and Excise.

We also have an issue regarding the land Border, where there may be a different tax regime. All the law enforcement agencies of this State, with the relevant law enforcement agencies of Northern Ireland, meet in what is called the cross-Border organised crime forum. We publish a threat assessment every year and detail the activities in which we engage. Through a combination of activities on both sides of the Border, the combined law enforcement authorities on the island tackle the illicit sale of cigarettes. Primarily, it is a Revenue issue and that is how most of the seizures take place. Our colleagues in the Revenue Commissioners can enlighten members about the equipment it has in Dublin Port and the other mechanisms for discovering the movement of tobacco.

I am temporarily responsible for two bureaus, including the Garda National Immigration Bureau. We have put a particular emphasis on removing people from the State who are foreign nationals engaged in crime. In 2014, among the people we removed were 68 people with criminal convictions, with many of those relating to the drugs industry, although some related to the selling of illicit cigarettes. There were 29 EU nationals removed. Where there is an effort by people coming from within or without Europe engaging either in the selling of drugs or illicit cigarettes, we make every effort to enforce removal and deportation orders, etc., or whatever mechanism is necessary to lawfully remove these people from the jurisdiction.