Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 317: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of flights that arrived at Dublin Airport, Shannon Airport and Cork Airport at times when they have no customs officers rostered for duty in respect of each year since 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10227/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that they do not have information on the numbers of flight movements into and out of Cork, Dublin or Shannon airports going back to 2002. Such information is the property of the airport authority. It has not been possible to get the same level of detail on flight movements from the relevant authority for each airport, with the result that some numbers in the response are estimated.

Since 1993, citizens of EU countries have had the right of free movement within the EU. Customs authorities are not permitted to impose systematic checks on travellers whose point of origin is within the EU. In effect, intra-Community flights have been regarded as domestic since 1993. Customs authorities can impose selective checks for prohibited or restricted goods, but only on the basis of reasonable grounds for suspicion. Flights from non-EU countries are subject to checking at the discretion of customs. Customs experience is that for the purposes of detecting smuggling flights and types of passenger can be risk-rated quite accurately and checking is now mainly risk-driven. In addition to such risk-driven checks, random checks are sometimes performed to validate risk assessment. Checks are carried out by rostered staff or by on-call non-rostered staff depending on the availability of rostered staff, and on the number of officers required.

Throughout the period in question, Revenue has had, and continues to have, officers rostered on a 24 hour, seven-day week basis in Dublin Airport. In regard to Shannon Airport, up to the end of 2004, staff were rostered on a 24-hour basis and all flights were attended. A review of the risk associated with late-night flights prompted a change in 2005. During 2005, there were 17 flights per week outside of hours when rostered staff were on duty. Fourteen of these originated in the USA. Two flights per week originated in London Heathrow. The final regular flight outside rostered hours is a winter holiday flight from North Africa. These flights are monitored and checked as appropriate. Overall, the majority of Shannon flights outside rostered hours were attended and checked in 2005. All scheduled flights to Cork originate within the EU. In summer, there are occasional unscheduled charter flights from holiday destinations such as Turkey, Morocco, etc. They are monitored and attended by non-rostered officers as required. There are 15 scheduled flights per week, Monday to Friday, three per day on each of five days, that arrive during hours that officers are not rostered. Ten of these originate in the UK, two per day, and five in Dublin, one per day. These 15 flights are regarded as domestic flights. They are monitored and attended by non-rostered officers on a risk-management basis. Officers are rostered at weekends for a total of 16 rostered hours. The officers are rostered to attend at the times of highest risk. It is estimated that approximately 40 flights per weekend arrive during hours that officers are not rostered for attendance. As with all flights, these are profiled and a proportion attended by non-rostered officers.