Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 138: To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the recent drugs seizure from a flight that left from Weston Executive Airport in County Kildare; his further views on the lack of surveillance by the Revenue and customs authorities at private airports here and the risk of illegal trafficking of drugs, goods and people arising therefrom; if he will report on the Revenue Commissioners promised review of approved licensed aerodromes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33081/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Customs Service of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners has primary responsibility for the prevention, detection, interception and seizure of controlled drugs at importation. It has particular responsibility for implementing import controls at points of entry to the State, specifically at ports and airports, including licensed airfields, and on the land frontier. The control of licensed airfields in the State is carried out by customs enforcement teams. Those teams are dedicated anti-smuggling teams that focus on the smuggling of prohibited drugs and fiscal products.

The Deputy will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me as Minister for Finance to comment in detail on the specific operation that resulted in the seizure of a reported 50kg. of heroin in Belgium a number of weeks ago. The fact that three Irish nationals were arrested and that the aircraft, detained by the Belgian authorities, had departed from, and is based at Weston Aerodrome are of major concern to the Revenue Commissioners.

I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that best practice in customs administration worldwide shows that the development of information and intelligence is critical to the detection of drug smuggling. In Ireland, this has become very important since the completion of the Single Market in 1993, based as it is on the free movement of goods and people within the Community. As Intra-Community travellers have the right of free movement, Revenue has no power to stop them except on the basis of a suspicion, normally grounded in specific intelligence.

Revenue's Customs Service also shares and receives information and intelligence on drug smuggling from a number of international bodies including the World Customs Organisation, United Nations Drug Control Programme, Interpol, Council of Europe, Europol and the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Revenue's Customs Service liaises on an ongoing basis with other national and international enforcement services such as the Garda Síochána, the Naval Service, the Air Corps, and foreign customs and police services. It takes part on a regular basis in European, bilateral and national surveillance operations focused at specific drug smuggling methodologies, including general aviation. Some of these operations have been specifically directed at light aircraft and helicopter movements.

The Revenue's Customs Service is continuously engaged in the analysis and evaluation of seizure trends, routes and smuggling risks and consequential resource deployment. All Customs Service operations are risk focused, and staff are deployed to combat areas of greatest risk. Revenue constantly reviews staffing levels and structures to ensure that resources are matched to risk. The level of activity at licensed aerodromes is constantly monitored from a risk perspective.

For example, in 2004 officers attached to the Dublin Enforcement District carried out twelve planned and six unplanned visits to Weston Aerodrome. During 2005, ten planned and six unplanned; and to-date in 2006, twelve planned and three unplanned visits have been made to Weston. I am assured by the Revenue Commissioners that the monitoring of licensed aerodromes in the State by the Revenue Customs Service is in line with international standards.

Under its conditions of approval from the Revenue Commissioners, Weston aerodrome is required to notify Customs 24 hours in advance of any arrivals from 3rd countries. Customs generally attend all 3rd country flights. Under the conditions of approval Weston is not required to inform Revenue of arrivals from other EU countries. However, all information is supplied on request and officers attend for EU flights on a selective basis. All attendance for inter-Community flights is based on risk analysis of all available data. Under EU Treaty provisions intra-Community passengers are not required to make a Customs declaration.

In light of concerns raised following the Belgian drugs seizure, I am advised that the Revenue Commissioners are reviewing the approval conditions attached to licensed aerodromes including an examination of the risks attached to the operation of, and procedures attaching these aerodromes. This review has just commenced with the clear intention of having it completed as quickly as possible.