Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 198: To ask the Minister for Finance the amount of revenue that has been generated arising from memorandums of understanding and the anti-contraband and anti-counterfeit agreements between the Government and tobacco companies in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6700/10]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the sum of $1,359,995.81 (€907,329.25) was received on 7 December 2009 in respect of Ireland's portion of the phased payments due for 2009 under Article 8 of the International Agreement concluded with Japan Tobacco International (JTI). The sum in question was transferred to the Exchequer on 22 December 2009. As previously stated Ireland does not qualify for similar payments under the International Agreement that was concluded with Philip Morris International (PMI) as Ireland was not one of the initial signatories to the Agreement, to whom such payments are confined.

Furthermore, no seizure payments were received from either of these companies in 2009 because the cigarettes seized by Ireland did not qualify for payment either because they were below the minimum threshold, or were in free circulation in the European Union or they were counterfeit. As regards, Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), while no revenue or payments flow directly from such MOUs, the tobacco manufacturers continue to co-operate and share information with Revenue in tackling cigarette smuggling.