Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this important matter. The report in the Sunday Independent was alarming and is of serious concern to people in the north east. The report contained details of fuel smugglers pumping massive volumes of toxic waste linked to cancers and abnormalities in unborn babies into water supplies in our State. The highly respected security correspondent of the Sunday Independent, Mr. Jim Cusack, has done a good service by outlining in great detail these irregularities. As my colleagues have stated already, it is frightening to think that this waste is being pumped into major waterways, such as Lough Muckno and Lough Ross in County Monaghan as well as the Fane river. The report contained details of a sample of water taken by a representative of the Sunday Independent which was shown to contain 8,000 times more chemical pollution than clean drinking water. It is frightening and absolutely unacceptable. The agencies of the State must take every action possible to put a stop to this hideous behaviour.

Those of us living in the Border counties know about the additional costs to local authorities as a result of cleaning up roadways where people illegally smuggling diesel have spilt it as well as the vast cost to the Exchequer. To my knowledge, the agencies in our State, whether an Garda Síochána or the Revenue Commissioners, have been most diligent in pursuing this illegal activity. I hope that the authorities north of the Border are as diligent in pursuing these criminals and gangsters, who are doing untold damage to the people and the country's environment.

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