Ray Butler (Meath West, Fine Gael)

The Minister for Finance said that a laboratory in Sligo is starting to look for better quality dyes to put into the diesel. Does he know any more about that? There are environmental concerns because much of the laundered diesel is washed through the Turkish sand that is coming into the country in container loads, all of which has to be dumped somewhere, so that will have to be looked into. I agree with Deputy O'Mahony that the hands of Revenue and Customs and Excise officials are tied because of cutbacks and the fact that they need more staff. In my area, the problem is getting out of hand and we will lose many jobs because legitimate petrol stations will close. I have heard concerns about the issue from people who have visited my constituency office. Business has gone slow at a petrol station on the Dublin Road and the owner is worried that he will go out of business if the situation continues. Fuel laundering is having a knock-on effect throughout the country.

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