Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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92. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of staff within the Customs and Excise section of Revenue in Custom House, Sligo that are detailed to investigate illegal narcotics and illegal drug importation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28946/13]

Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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93. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of staff, full time and part time within the Customs and excise section of Revenue that are engaged solely in the detection and investigation of illegal drug importation that are based at sea ports and airports within the Sligo/Leitrim area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28947/13]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 93 together.

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that their office is an integrated tax and customs administration and it is not feasible to disaggregate the staffing resources deployed exclusively on Customs and Excise or drugs enforcement work. The Revenue Commissioners have around 2,000 staff engaged on activities that are dedicated to target and confront non-compliance. These activities include anti-smuggling, audit, assurance checks, debt management, investigations, prosecutions and anti-avoidance. A total of approx 124 staff are engaged on these activities in the North West area.

The Revenue Commissioners have an enforcement presence at all key airports and ports and at other strategic locations and enforcement strength at particular locations is regularly augmented with additional personnel on a risk assessment basis, or when particular operations are taking place. The Deputy will appreciate that, for reasons of operational sensitivity, the Commissioners are not in a position to provide further details of enforcement deployment at any given location.