Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 193, 194 and 197 together.

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that combatting fuel fraud is a priority for them, and that their comprehensive strategy for tackling this form of criminality encompasses the carrying out of checks and controls at all stages of the fuel supply chain. This involves, among other things, the checking and inspection of bulk fuel transportation vehicles, including, from time to time, the taking of fuel samples from such vehicles.

The checking of vehicles and the taking of fuel samples may be carried out only  by officers who have been authorised by the Revenue Commissioners to do so, and only officers who have received appropriate training may take samples. This training is provided by a qualified mechanic who is a Revenue employee, in conjunction with Revenue's Training Branch, and covers the correct procedures for obtaining samples, the safe use of specialised equipment for doing so and health and safety matters, including the appropriate isolation from members of the public of the vehicle from which a sample is being taken.

I am informed also that the sampling of bulk transportation vehicles is undertaken in accordance with strict health and safety protocols, and may be carried out only by officers trained specifically for that task. To date, 35 officers, based at locations around the country, have received this training.

The specific safety regime applied in respect of a vehicle from which samples are being taken depends on the type of fuel being carried by the bulk fuel transportation vehicle. Vehicles carrying diesel type fuels (that is, road diesel, marked gas oil or kerosene) may occasionally, depending on the nature of the location concerned, be sampled at roadside checkpoints. Bulk fuel transportation vehicles carrying petrol or suspected of doing so are always removed to a safe and secure location for the carrying out of the sampling. A health and safety risk assessment is carried out by the senior officer present before a decision is made to proceed with sampling.

The numbers of samples of petrol and diesel that have been taken from bulk fuel transportation vehicles from 2011 to date are set out in the following table.