Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of customs officers employed by the Revenue Commissioners from 1999 to 2003, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26725/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that following the introduction of the Single Market in 1993, customs officers were integrated into the general service grades in Revenue. This process was completed by 1996 and therefore the information requested is not available. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that customs and excise functions, including frontier management, trade facilitation, customs policy and legislation, customs valuation, excise controls, and customs and excise investigation and prosecutions were assigned in the main to three divisions during this period. The number of employees in the three divisions, which carried out a broad range of other functions, including trade statistics, local tax collection, P35 processing, vehicle registration tax and matters relating to charities and residence, during the years in question was as follows: 1999, 1,626; 2000, 1,622; 2001, 1,568; 2002, 1,572; and 2003, 1,554.