Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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65. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of inspections of filling stations in County Mayo for contaminated petrol and laundered diesel which have been conducted by the officials of the Revenue Commissioner, for each month in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22610/15]

Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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66. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of samples of petrol and diesel that have been taken from bulk fuel transportation vehicles by officials from the Revenue Commissioners in March, April, May and June 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22611/15]

Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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69. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of officials of the Revenue Commissioners in County Mayo engaged full-time in the detection of contaminated petrol and laundered diesel, pursuant to their statutory powers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22640/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 66 and 69 together.

The Revenue Commissioners operate a fully integrated tax and customs administration and it is not possible to disaggregate resources deployed exclusively at any given time on particular enforcement operations, such as the detection of petrol or diesel fraud.  Revenue currently has approximately 2,000 staff engaged on activities that are dedicated to targeting and confronting non-compliance.  These activities include anti-smuggling and anti-evasion, investigation and prosecution, audit, assurance checks, anti-avoidance, returns compliance and debt collection, and resources are redeployed across them on an ongoing basis in response to Revenue's assessment of risk. Revenue enforcement officers target illicit oils activity by carrying out intelligence-based operations and random checks at retail outlets, markets and private and commercial premises.  

Revenue officers are given authorisations, as appropriate, to exercise specific statutory powers relevant to the work in which they are engaged, including powers to stop persons or consignments, to conduct searches and to examine books and records.  Up to 50 staff based in Co. Mayo are engaged on these activities but additional support from outside the county is available and can be called on to assist in operations as required.  The Deputy will appreciate that, for reasons of operational sensitivity, the Revenue Commissioners are not in a position to give further details of enforcement deployment in specific locations.

With regard to inspections at filling stations, I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the number of checks carried out to date in 2015 in connection with the suspected illegal use of stretching agents in County Mayo, during the period specified, is detailed in the table following: 

As I indicated in my reply to the Deputy's Questions Nos. 193, 194 and 197 of 10 March 2015, the strategy of the Revenue Commissioners for combatting fuel fraud involves, as part of a wide range of actions, the checking and inspection of bulk fuel transportation vehicles including, from time to time, the taking of fuel samples from such vehicles.

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the number of samples of petrol and diesel that have been taken from bulk fuel transportation vehicles in the period referred to by the Deputy is seven (taken in May 2015).