Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Senator Jim D'Arcy referred to an article which states that fuel smugglers are pumping toxic waste, which is linked to cancers and abnormalities in unborn babies, straight into water supplies in the Republic. Toxic waste, which is the result of fuel laundering, is being pumped into the main reservoir that supplies Dundalk and surrounding areas, as well as Crossmaglen in County Armagh. That is how serious the situation is regarding the fuel laundering being carried out, predominantly in Border areas, by gangsters who claim to be representatives of the ordinary people. That is the reality of what is happening.
On a number of occasions, I and Senators Terry Brennan, Jim D'Arcy and others have raised this serious matter. While I commend An Garda Síochána and Customs and Excise on this side of the Border for the major efforts they are making to discover these illegal operations, the article written by the highly respected security correspondent of the Sunday Independent, Mr. Cusack, highlighted some other very serious concerns, one of which is that a blind eye is being turned to these activities by the security forces and PSNI in the Six Counties. If that is the situation, it should be addressed as a matter of urgency.
The health concerns are extremely serious and should be addressed by the authorities on this side of the Border. The financial loss to the State is estimated at €150 million per year and is a very serious revenue issue. Some £80 million is being lost to the Northern Ireland Assembly. In addition to the call by Senator Jim D'Arcy for the Minister of State, Deputy Harris, to come before the House, an urgent meeting should be sought by the Taoiseach with the British Prime Minister, and by the Ministers for Finance, Justice and Equality and the Environment, Community and Local Government with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Assembly. It is an extremely serious issue. It raises its head from time to time and then tends to be forgotten about, but there are some very serious questions to be answered by the so-called security forces in the Six Counties.