Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 165: To ask the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 128 on 13 October 2009, if his attention has been drawn to a report compiled by independent consultants specifically outlining on a country by country basis the extent of illicit cigarette trade in the European Union; if he has information on the way Ireland compares with other EU Member States on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40587/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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A copy of a section of the report referred to by the Deputy was received by my Department and by the Revenue Commissioners.

The report in question is indeed compiled by independent consultants, but is based on research commissioned by a global cigarette manufacturer. While the report provides an annual assessment of the position concerning the total consumption of counterfeit and contraband cigarettes throughout the European Union, the authorities of each Member State only receive details, on a confidential basis, in respect of their own individual market; and do not receive details of the estimate disclosed to each of the other Member States in respect of their markets. These restrictions were put in place by the European Commission, which oversees the project.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 166: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of checks that have taken place by customs officers in retail stores for verifying the legitimacy of their cigarette stock in each of the years 2007, 2008 and to date in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40588/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that statistics are not maintained in a manner that would provide precise information regarding the number of stock checks at retail stores.

I can, however, advise that Revenue Enforcement officers have been conducting checks at retail outlets, markets, and distribution centres in an ongoing operation entitled Operation Downstream since December 2007. This operation focuses on seizing illicit cigarettes that evaded detection at the point of importation. In the course of this operation 12 seizures totalling 1 million cigarettes were made in December 2007, 128 seizures totalling 6.4 million cigarettes in 2008, and 208 seizures totalling 8.7 million cigarettes were made during the first nine months of 2009. These checks are carried out on the basis of specific information received concerning certain outlets and at premises such as markets where contraband cigarettes are known to be on sale.

In a parallel ongoing operation targeting cigarette packs bearing counterfeit tax stamps, checks have been made at more than 200 retail stores in the Dublin region in the course of 2009 to date. This operation was instigated following the detection of bogus Irish Tobacco Tax Stamps on counterfeit cigarettes smuggled from China.