Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. As a member of Committee A, I can attest to the considerable amount of time that went into compiling this report. It was in the first instance conducted by way of hearing evidence from the various people involved in this area, including customs officials, police from the North and the South, the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice. We accumulated sufficient information to get a feel for the situation but it was only when an initiative was taken, for which I commend Senator Paul Coghlan, to visit the areas in which these activities are carried out that we were struck by the way in which they are pursued with a degree of impunity. The authorities told us that they were applying themselves diligently to detection and bringing people to justice but it was hard to reconcile those assurances with what we saw on the ground, particularly given the number of units we observed that were involved in diesel laundering. We also spoke to a number of local people. The chairman of the committee will speak for himself but I came back from the visit more concerned than theretofore.

There is no doubt that issues of resources need to be addressed. The customs service in Northern Ireland carried out a cost-benefit analysis to demonstrate that the pay back from applying additional resources would more than cover the cost. This is something the Minister of State should consider in administrating services in this jurisdiction. I have heard figures for losses from illicit tobacco of approximately €525 million per annum, although this would not solely relate to the Border. A significant amount of tax is being lost to the Exchequer. In these times of austerity, it is imperative that taxes are collected where they are legitimately due.

The impact on the environment should not be understated. I understand that the water supplies for Dundalk, Castleblaney and other towns come from lakes and streams which contained cancer causing toxins. I presume these toxins, for which we saw evidence, ended up in the reservoirs supplying the aforementioned towns. I am not sure all of them would be eradicated by treating the water.They are serious issues, to which the perpetrators will not be giving a second thought. Efforts are being made to develop a new marker. There is a great deal of hope and expectation that it will resolve the fuel laundering issue. The view of gardaí on the ground dealing with this issue is that the gangs involved are wealthy and have a great deal of money to invest in sophisticated equipment. It was reported in a recent edition of ForbesMagazinethat the current income of the IRA is €50 million. ISIS, which is, apparently, the largest terrorist group has income of approximately €2 billion. These are significant issues.

We strongly recommend, and this has been endorsed by the Assembly, the establishment of a task force which would mobilise authorities North and South to ensure that there is a singular focus on this issue. We identified a deficiency in the system in that policing in this area is being carried out as part of overall policing duties. This leads to competing priorities. The people involved in this very lucrative business are involved on a full-time basis. They are very professional. Unless the authorities put in place to tackle this problem have adequate resources and apply themselves full time to tackling it, we are probably not going to resolve it.

Another issue of concern is the law with regard to phoenix companies. In other words, when a company is prosecuted for offences in this area it is allowed to fold and resume operation under a new name. This is a matter of frustration for the authorities. Action must be taken to tighten the law in this area. There is an issue of general lawlessness in this area, of which we have been aware for many years. It is now 17 years post the Good Friday Agreement. It is time the curtains came down on the softly softly approach being taken to what is happening. The authorities have a significant role to play in that regard. The murder of Paul Quinn, which was a brutal, savage killing of a young man, was carried out by people who are known in the area. These are issues that should not be allowed to continue in a civilised society. Greater effort is needed in that regard.

I watched the proceedings of the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis last weekend. It was very professionally organised. Obviously, Sinn Féin is preparing for government. It is imperative that it distance itself from any of the activities that are going on in the Border area. It has been suggested that the couple recently caught smuggling cigarettes from Spain to Ireland have attended Sinn Féin events in recent years. It is important for Sinn Féin to participate in addressing this issue. As stated earlier, the committee believes that concerns regarding the ultimate beneficiaries and application of proceeds of these crimes can only be addressed through a more focussed and concentrated effort to deal with these cross-Border activities, and thorough Criminal Assets Bureau and National Crime Agency investigation to follow the money trail. It would be untenable and unthinkable if any of this money was finding its way into the political process. Many of those who are involved are not dissidents; they are former members of the Provisional IRA who have some political connections. This is a serious issue for democracy, in my opinion.