Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this matter, which seeks to highlight the need for Revenue to increase its presence at the ports and airports in the west, with the aim of tackling drug importation networks in this State.

This is an issue of national importance as drug smugglers and international drug gangs continue to wreak havoc in the State on a daily basis. It is an important issue for the people living in the west who are on the front line of this importation battle between the smugglers and Irish officials. It is very important for the Garda and Revenue officials in the north west. They have expressed to me their deep concerns with regard to the lack of drug surveillance operations at our ports and airports.

The Minister of State, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, will be aware that we got very lucky last month when a consignment of cocaine worth some €5 million washed ashore on a beach in County Clare. This consignment had become detached from a boat at sea and eventually washed ashore in Ireland. We do not know where the drugs were destined for and we do not know where they came from. All we know is that 75 kilos of cocaine washed ashore for the public to discover and that our customs officials with dedicated customs cutter boats were not aware of this consignment before it became detached. This particular incident has raised once more my deep concerns which I have raised with the Department of Finance and with Revenue on several occasions around the west coast of Ireland being used as a drug importation channel by drug cartels. Revenue and the Government are not on top of this worrying situation and I firmly believe that illegal and dangerous drugs are coming into Ireland illegally via the west coast. In a reply to the Taoiseach in October 2013, Liam Irwin said Revenue attaches the highest priority to combatting the smuggling of controlled drugs and that it is committed to playing an active role in working against this criminal activity and those responsible for it. While I accept that this sentiment is the true intent of Revenue in this regard and that lack of resources is the reason why Revenue may not be on top of the situation, I wish to highlight some major issues why we are not reaching the aims of this intent in the west.

With regard to sea access in the west, I am advised that the Revenue fleet of operational cutter boats is not sufficient to cover surveillance and interception operations for the entire west coast. It is clear to see that Revenue simply needs to prioritise more funding in order to purchase more boats and for more customs personnel to increase our operations in this area. I am further advised that the Killybegs deep water port in County Donegal has no Revenue drug detection personnel in operation. This is despite the fact that boats of any shape or size can arrive and leave this port at any time of the day. Perhaps the Minister of State will explain why this is the case. It seems odd that such an important port would have no drugs customs officers based there. With regard to airports in the west, and Knock Airport in particular, I am advised that there is now no dedicated drug detector dog based at Knock airport or the in the midlands west region since March 2016 when the previous dog died. Will the Minister of State provide details as to when this dog will be replaced and what is the overall cost involved?

I also want to highlight that there is no permanent Revenue drug detection staff at Ireland West Airport Knock. This is despite the fact that more than 800,000 passengers will use the airport in 2016.

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