Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the report. This is a national issue, although the hub is the Border. One is as likely, or more likely, to purchase laundered diesel in Tralee, Tipperary or Galway than in Dundalk. A point was made today by the First Minister about the situation in north Louth and south Armagh. The people of north Louth are and always have been law abiding. The people of Haggardstown, Hackballscross, Shelagh and Kilcurry are also law abiding and decent. When I think of south Armagh, I do not think of the nefarious diesel laundering plants but of the rolling drumlins and its great history, including the O'Neill graves in Creggan graveyard. I think of Anamar, Urney, Peadar Ó Doirnín, Art Mac Cumhaigh, the great poets and its cultural heritage. We put money into the peace project in Belfast and other places. As part of the project to get rid of diesel laundering, south Armagh needs special recognition that it also suffered during the Troubles. It needs economic revival in areas such as tourism. It has Slieve Gullion, where Fionn Mac Cumhail hunted the wild boar, and the great Fenian Cycle. When we think of the region, we should not always think of criminal activity but also of the possibilities.

The Government is making good progress on the issues of legislation and licensing. I do not know whether it will be like going to a chemist for a cough bottle, but none of them works. I have a feeling, however, that the issue is quite sophisticated.

Anecdotally, it is stated dissidents run tobacco operations and that the old Provos hang on to diesel operations. Six months ago I got a hint that things were moving along when one of the dons sent me a message that he had retired. I do not always agree with Sinn Féin Councillor Tomás Sharkey in County Louth, but time and again, when it was not popular to do so within his party, he spoke out against diesel laundering. He must be admired for this, if not for his economic philosophy. We have heard about an attack on a Sinn Féin member which left me emotional. The fact is, for many years, those hard working and dedicated people in Revenue who have dealt with this matter have been subjected to intimidation. Some of them have had to install extra security in their homes and some of them have had their cars pipe bombed. Usually a convert is more zealous than the person who always was a member of a religious group. Let us hope that the conversion of some of the people, who were formerly agnostic as regards diesel laundering, will bear fruit.

I must say Senators Paul Coghlan and Jim Walsh, and all the other members of the BIPA committee, deserve the height of credit for their report and for highlighting the issue which we, in the Seanad, have debated for a long time.