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

It has been estimated that the revenue loss to our State amounts to approximately €150 million per annum. That is probably an underestimation, given the extent of this illegal activity over the past number of years. The Fianna Fáil councillor P.J. O'Hanlon, from south Monaghan, told me that he has had numerous calls from people in the Castleblayney area who are very concerned about this. Councillor Padraig McNally has also had numerous calls and I am sure every other public representative in south Monaghan will report the same.

I concur with Deputy O'Dowd's suggestion that the public representatives, North and South, in the affected areas should meet. I would also suggest, in reference to the proposed meeting between the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly and the Northern Ireland Minister for the Environment, Mr. Durkan, that they should have a high-level meeting involving the Garda Síochána, PSNI, the Revenue Commissioners and their counterparts north of the Border as well. We must be assured that the agencies north of the Border are as diligent in pursing this illegal activity as our authorities have been. Over the years this has been a matter of absolute frustration for all of us. Apart from the very important issues of the loss of revenue to the State and the fact that illegal activity is going on, in many instances money has been used to clean up roads to make them safe after diesel spillages when that money could have been put to far better use. God knows how many accidents have happened as a result of diesel spilled on our roads, causing injuries to many people. This is an issue that must be prioritised and dealt with in the most urgent manner possible.

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