Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 41: To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the significant number of flights that arrive at both Cork and Shannon Airports at times when there are no customs officers on duty; if, in view of continuing concerns regarding the drugs problem and particularly the smuggling of cocaine, the Revenue Commissioners will be asked to ensure cover at all times that flights arrive at these airports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12377/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, I have recently answered parliamentary questions on this issue, most recently on 21 March 2006 — Parliamentary Question No. 317 in response to Deputy Quinn — when I described the operations of customs staff at Shannon and Cork Airports in some detail based on information supplied by the Revenue Commissioners. While the Revenue Commissioners ended 24 hour rostered coverage in Cork in 2002 and Shannon in 2005, in both cases the reason was the low number of night time flights. Cork Airport is closed between 11.30 p.m. and 5.30 a.m. and Shannon Airport handles no flights between 1.30 a.m. and 5.30 a.m.

Cork Airport has no non-EU flights outside of normal hours of attendance of customs officials. For EU flights, the customs section of the Revenue Commissioners may only stop and question people where there are reasonable grounds for suspicion. As this is the case, the great majority of people travelling on EU flights would not be aware of Revenue checks. Almost all night time flights originating in non-EU countries were met and checked by Revenue's 24 hour specialist staff in 2005.