John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 186: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of coastal patrols carried out by the cutter boats between 1 January 2009 and 31 October 2010 between and including counties Clare and Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41145/10]

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 187: To ask the Minister for Finance his plans for the cutter vessel to patrol the west coast between now and the end of December 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41146/10]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 187 together.

I have been informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the Customs Cutters spent seventy days on patrol in the coastal area from Clare to Donegal in the period 1 January 2009 to 31 October 2010.

The deployment of Customs Cutters is operationally sensitive and it is not in the interest of anti-smuggling efforts to give advance notification of patrol deployments. The Customs Service is committed, in cooperation with the Naval Service, to making available the appropriate resources to respond to all maritime operations requirements.