Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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To ask the Minister for Health if he will increase custom and exercise supervision of commercial packaging operators, in order to deal with the explosion of prescription drugs being ordered on-line and delivered within a 24 hour period. [14779/13]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The Revenue Commissioner's Customs Service and the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) have shared competency in relation to the prevention and detection at importation of illicit medicines. In addition the IMB and the Customs Service have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and under this MOU both organisations work closely to detain and prohibit prescription medicines purchased online from being imported.

IMB and the Customs Service deploy operational resources in a targeted and risk-based manner and as a result of specific intelligence. These approaches are reviewed and adjusted based on analysis and evaluation of national and international seizure trends, traffic frequency, routes and other risk indicators.

Revenue's Customs Service also have Memoranda of Understanding with a number of express mail courier service providers and work very closely with these companies, IMB and the Gardaí to combat the importation of illicit medicines.

In September 2012 the IMB, Revenue Customs Services and An Garda Síochána took part in an international week long operation 'Pangea V' which led to the detention of capsules and tablets with an estimated value in excess of €375,000.

In addition the Customs Service has provided the following statistics of medicines seizures for the years 2009 to 2012: