Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of customs officers based at Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8401/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that there are 71 customs officers based at Dublin Airport. This figure includes officers engaged on both enforcement and trade facilitation work. Additionally, for special enforcement operations, the Dublin Airport resource is supported by enforcement officers from locations within the Dublin region.

There are 26 at Shannon Airport, which also includes officers engaged on both enforcement and trade facilitation work. In addition, further enforcement officers based in Limerick are available and are used to augment the Shannon Airport resource on a risk basis.

There are six officers at Cork Airport. These officers are almost exclusively engaged in enforcement work. Further enforcement officers based centrally in Cork are available and are used to augment the Cork Airport resource on a risk basis.

The Office of the Revenue Commissioners has responsibility for the collection of all import duties and the enforcement of prohibitions and restrictions which may apply at import or export. In particular, the office has the primary responsibility for the prevention, detection, and seizure of controlled drugs at importation. They have responsibility for implementing import controls at points of entry into the State, specifically at airports, ports, including licensed airfields, and on the land frontier.

All customs operations are risk-focused and staff are deployed according to the level of risk.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Finance his views on whether the number of customs officers stationed at Cork Airport is sufficient, especially to deal with the drugs problem; the average number of staff on duty at weekends; if he will confirm that no customs staff are rostered for duty after 11 p.m.; the procedures in place for monitoring flights that land after this hour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8402/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Revenue's Customs service is continuously engaged in the analysis and evaluation of seizure trends, routes and smuggling risks and consequential resource deployment. In the past five years Revenue has relaunched its drugs watch programme and increased its use of drug detector dog teams with the introduction of dog units. X-ray technology is also deployed to detect concealments in baggage and merchandise.

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that Cork Airport operates between 5.30 a.m. and midnight. There are six officers permanently stationed there, rostered between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., Monday to Friday. There are 13 additional officers available to augment these numbers. These additional officers are not rostered and are not confined to the 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. work period. They operate seven days a week on a risk analysis basis. They are available to augment the permanent staff from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. or to work on their own outside of those hours. Included is a dog drug detector unit. The airport is covered from a customs perspective during all hours that it is operational. I am further advised by the Revenue Commissioners that they consider the coverage as sufficient, as witnessed by the increasing number and value of seizures at Cork Airport over recent years.