Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 60: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the customs and passport check arrangements for private jets and helicopters arriving at Dublin Airport, specifically at the area of the airport largely reserved for private aircraft; the number of private aircraft using such facilities for each of the years 2005, 2006, 2007 and to date in 2008; if this area is subject to the same checks as the rest of the airport terminal as used by the general public and carriers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16961/08]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the Customs Service has 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 enforcement teams that focus on the smuggling of prohibited drugs and fiscal products.

Best practice in customs administration worldwide shows that the development of information and intelligence is critical to the detection of drug and fiscal smuggling. In Ireland, this has been 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. Because 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.

Private jets and helicopters arriving into the State at Dublin Airport are handled by a number of executive jet service operators. Revenue's Customs Service at Dublin Airport receives advance notification of all arrivals of light aircraft and helicopters from the executive jet service operators. Passenger manifests are submitted and all private flights are checked on the basis of risk analysis of the data supplied by the operators and available intelligence.

Passengers and crew arriving on intra-Community flights are ordinarily allowed to proceed, unless Customs determine, through risk profiling, that they require to be examined. In all such cases the aircraft is subject to search and the passengers and crew must present themselves, with their baggage, at the Customs Channels within the main Terminal for examination.

Passengers and crew on flights arriving from an airport outside the European Community must present themselves and their baggage at the Customs Channels in the main terminal for clearance.

Based on Dublin Airport Authority data, the numbers of private aircraft that arrived at Dublin Airport since 1 January 2005, including training flights and flights from other airports within the State, are 12,109 in 2005, 14,104 in 2006, 14,697 in 2007 and 3,603 in 2008 to date. Matters relating to passport check arrangements at Dublin Airport fall under the remit of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.