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

Combatting cross-Border smuggling is a high priority for Revenue. Mineral oil and tobacco smuggling are crimes that require both national and international responses.

I am advised by Revenue that it works closely with law enforcement partners both at home and abroad to disrupt and deter smuggling activities. Revenue co-operates extensively with, inter alia, An Garda Síochána in acting against illicit trades. The relevant authorities in the State also work closely with their counterparts in Northern Ireland through cross-Border enforcement groups to target the organised crime groups that are responsible for a large proportion of these forms of criminality. There is close co-operation with other international law enforcement agencies, in particular HM Revenue and Customs in the UK.

As has been reiterated in the programme for a partnership Government, the work to tackle cross-jurisdictional organised crime will be supported and reinforced by the establishment, in the framework of A Fresh Start, the Stormont agreement and implementation plan, of the joint agency task force, which includes Revenue. In this context the development of strategic and tactical plans has been agreed by all key stakeholders to further support effective action against cross-Border excise fraud. This interagency national and international co-operation is complemented by Revenue's use of intelligence gathering, its profiling of suspects and effective intervention programmes to counter the threat posed by criminal activities such as fuel and tobacco fraud. 

Over the past number of years Revenue has implemented a number of strategies against both fuel fraud and the illegal tobacco trade, underpinned by an extensive and effective legislative framework to maximise its impact on the illegal operations referred to in the Deputy's question. I am satisfied that the current legislative framework provides an effective basis for action by Revenue against fuel and tobacco offences, and I am assured by Revenue that action against such activities will continue to be a key focus of its work.

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