Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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98. To ask the Minister for Finance the additional personnel and resources, including the purchase of two additional mobile X-ray scanners, for the Revenue Commissioners after budget 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45027/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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In Budget 2018 I provided an additional €4 million to Revenue for an extra 100 staff (full time equivalent). These staff will be deployed mainly on audit and investigation activities, particularly PAYE Employer Compliance in advance of PAYE modernisation. It also provides for recruitment of additional international tax and transfer pricing specialists and resources to enhance ICT systems capacity for data matching and data analytics in tax and duty compliance interventions. These additional resources will lead to a direct increase in tax and duty yield from compliance interventions.

I am advised by Revenue that the latest mobile x-ray container scanner was deployed in January 2017. It utilises state of the art imaging technology to analyse containers as well as vehicles. This scanner was part financed using a European Commission OLAF grant under the HERCULE 3 program. This scanner is expected to remain in service until at least 2028. The scanner is operated from within existing resource. Revenue continuously reviews its detection technology requirements, and implements a normal replacement and upgrade strategy taking account of developments in those technologies. Revenue has advised that it is satisfied with their current detection technology and consider that border points are adequately serviced by these detection systems. Revenue will continue to review its technology requirements for 2018.