John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for Finance when it is proposed to assign permanent customs staff to Ireland West Airport and Galway Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25257/08]

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Finance if a full-time customs presence is located at Weston Aerodrome in view of the drugs seizure at the Aerodrome in 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25432/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 169 together.

I have been advised by the Revenue Commissioners that there is no full-time Customs presence at Weston, Ireland West or Galway airports. Customs controls at these airports, as at the other smaller airports, are risk based and are carried out by Special Compliance/Enforcement staff. Attendance is targeted and is based on analysis and evaluation of general seizure trends, traffic frequency, route and similar risk indicators. Attendance can also be as a result of specific intelligence. These controls are kept under constant review, in particular to take account of emerging smuggling trends and any traffic increase at these airports.

It is important to note by way of context, that the operating environment for Customs has been shaped to a significant degree by the introduction of the Internal Market and the related principles of freedom of movement within the EU. Of specific relevance are the abolition of routine and systematic Customs checks on goods and passengers moving within any part of the EU and the elimination of Customs controls on the baggage of intra-Community passengers other than anti smuggling checks. This is particularly relevant in the case of the smaller airports where passenger traffic is predominantly intra-Community. In fact some of the smaller airports have no international flights. The approach has of necessity been to balance the freedom of movement principle in regard to people and goods with the need to control smuggling and enforce prohibitions and restrictions.

The Revenue Commissioners assure me that, having regard to the context set out above, they are satisfied that their risk based approach, which is in line with the methodology adopted by other EU administrations in similar circumstances, remains valid.

As regards the drugs seizure in 2006 and the related arrest of three Irish nationals, I have been informed that, while this seizure may have been connected to an aircraft that had previously left Weston, the seizure was in fact made in Belgium.