Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 153 together.

I am assured that Revenue is committed to targeting the illicit tobacco trade and implements a range of measures to identify and target the smuggling, supply or sale of illicit tobacco products, with a view to disrupting the supply chain, seizing the products and, where possible, prosecuting those involved. Revenue’s strategy involves developing and sharing intelligence on a national, EU and international basis, the use of analytics and detection technologies and ensuring the optimum deployment of resources on a risk-focused basis. In that context, I am aware that Revenue monitors trends in the illicit tobacco trade on an ongoing basis and adjusts its actions and redeploys its resources in response to new developments or methodologies employed by the criminal gangs involved in that trade.

The smuggling of tobacco products has a transnational and cross border dimension and, in addition to Revenue’s ongoing cooperation with An Garda Síochána in this area, I am advised that Revenue also works closely with its counterparts in other jurisdictions including colleagues in Northern Ireland through the Cross Border Joint Agency Task Force (JATF), and international bodies including OLAF (the EU’s anti-fraud agency), Europol and the World Customs Organisation.

I am pleased to say that Revenue has achieved considerable success in tackling the illicit tobacco trade. In 2023, Revenue had 5,164 seizures of cigarettes with an estimated value of €55.7m and 1,673 seizures of tobacco with an estimated value of €7.7m.

A breakdown of the number of persons successfully prosecuted for tobacco and/or cigarette smuggling in 2022, 2023 and year to date 2024 are provided in the following table.

As Revenue is a fully integrated tax and customs administration, I am advised that it is not possible to disaggregate the resources deployed, or funding dedicated, at any given time to combat tobacco smuggling. However, Revenue’s Investigation, Prosecution and Frontier Management Division which has, inter alia, responsibility for trade facilitation, anti-smuggling and anti-evasion, investigation and prosecution, has just under 1,100 staff as at 31 January 2024. Resources allocated to such work are adjusted and realigned in response to changes in the level of risk in different sectors.

Finally, the Government has ensured through the Finance Acts over the years that Revenue has the necessary statutory powers to tackle the illicit tobacco trade. I am satisfied that the current legislative framework provides an effective basis for undertaking and continuing its important work in this area. I am assured that Revenue is very alert to the threat that tobacco smuggling poses to health, to legitimate business interests and to the Exchequer, and commend Revenue and all the relevant State agencies for their work in tackling this form of criminality.