Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners, who are responsible for tackling fuel fraud, that they are very aware of the risks posed to consumers' vehicles, legitimate businesses and the Exchequer by all forms of fuel fraud. The Revenue Commissioners have, since last summer, received reports from a variety of locations around the country of problems relating to petrol quality, and suggestions that these problems are attributable to petrol stretching. Petrol stretching involves the illegal addition of a low-tax commodity to petrol, and the motive of the criminals who engage in this activity is to profit from the sale of adulterated petrol, thereby defrauding motorists and the State.

The Revenue Commissioners have received 141 complaints to date, the majority of which originated in its Border, midlands and west region. Every filling station about which a complaint was made has been visited by Revenue Commissioners enforcement officers and fuel samples taken from them have been sent for analysis to the State Laboratory. In total, 345 samples of petrol from filling stations and other sources have been referred to the State Laboratory. The scientific analysis required is complex and time-consuming, and the State Laboratory has conducted an extensive series of tests and re-tests on the samples. Despite this extensive testing, evidence of the presence of prohibited stretching agents has been found in only two samples, both from one location. The conclusive results received from those tests have resulted in the seizure of the product, and files are being prepared with a view to prosecution.

Following a series of further tests conducted by the State Laboratory, results were received which indicate the presence of traces of road diesel in several samples taken from a variety of locations. This could indicate that petrol was contaminated with road diesel at some point in time. There is no rational economic reason or fraudulent incentive for anyone to mix normal road diesel with petrol. If the problems that have come to light were caused by unintended contamination as a result of diesel being inadvertently mixed with petrol at some point along the supply chain, there would be no Revenue offence involved. However, the Revenue Commissioners are investigating vigorously the possibility of tax fraud being associated with the identified problems. In any instances where the analysis of samples by the State Laboratory indicates the presence of illegal stretching agents in petrol, Revenue will take swift and robust action and pursue prosecutions against alleged offenders where possible. They have been working closely with An Garda Síochána on this matter, and will continue to do so.

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