Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Finance the budget allocation for and the actual expenditure by Revenue Customs Service and by his Department in implementing the actions of the National Drugs Strategy Unit for the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35300/12]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that they are a fully integrated tax and customs administration. Revenue currently has over 2,000 staff engaged on activities that are dedicated to target and confront non-compliance. These front-line activities include audit, assurance checks, anti-smuggling, investigations, prosecutions and anti-avoidance. Revenue, in implementing the actions of the National Drugs Strategy and other anti-smuggling activities, deploy officers at all key ports and airports in the State. Revenue officers also target the prevention of drug smuggling by carrying out intelligence-based operations and cooperating with other agencies, including the Garda Siochana. In this context the expenditure in implementing the actions of the National Drugs Strategy is applied from Revenue's overall Vote allocation for the administration and collection of taxes and duties, and frontier management.

An estimate of the expenditure figures requested by the Deputy in relation to implementing the actions of the National Drugs Strategy is reported on an annual basis to the Minister for Drugs. These figures are contained in the following table. The figures are based on a retrospective review of resources deployed on drugs work and a costing applied in accordance with a Department of Public Expenditure and Reform approved formula. The expenditure shown is in respect of all Revenue resources deployed over the years in question to this area of activity such as personnel and equipment, the latter including two Revenue cutters and two mobile scanners.

General Costs

* This figure was submitted without using the formula hence the differential between 2007 and 2008 figures.