Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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138. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of complaints of petrol stretching received by the customs and excise service in each of the months since January 2014; the number investigated and ongoing, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45955/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that, from mid-2014 on, they began to receive reports from a variety of locations around the country of problems relating to petrol quality, and suggestions that these problems were attributable to petrol stretching.

The numbers of complaints on this matter received in each month from July 2014 to December 2015 are set out in the following table. No complaints were received from June 2015 to November 2015 inclusive.

Every filling station about which a complaint was made was visited by Revenue officers and petrol samples were taken and referred to the State Laboratory for scientific analysis. Despite this extensive programme of sampling and analysis, evidence of the presence of prohibited stretching agents was found in only two samples, both from one location in County Louth. The conclusive results from those tests led to the seizure of the fuel concerned.Cases are currently before the Courts in relation to those detections.

I am assured by the Revenue Commissioners that they fully recognise the serious threats that fuel fraud poses to legitimate businesses, motorists and Exchequer revenues, and  I am satisfied that Revenue will continue to fulfil their responsibilities for combatting such fraud through a wide-ranging and effective programme of compliance and enforcement actions.