asked the Minister for Finance (1) the number of passengers and private vehicles who (a) entered and (b) left the State via Dublin Airport, Dublin port, Dún Laoghaire, Rosslare harbour, Cork Airport, Cork port, Ringaskiddy and Shannon Airport for the period from 1 January 1975 to 31 December 1985; (2) the number of seizures of prohibited drugs made by officers of Customs and Excise in each location showing the type of drugs and the weights involved; (3) the number of prosecutions brought by officers of Customs and Excise under the provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1984; (4) the number of commercial vehicles and containers which (a) entered and (b) left the State at these locations; (5) the number of customs entries processed at each location in respect of (a) imports and (b) exports; (6) the number of seizures of prohibited drugs made by officers of Customs and Excise in each depot showing the type of drugs and the weights involved; (7) the estimated value of the total amounts of prohibited drugs seized; and (8) the number of seizures of prohibited drugs made by officers of Customs and Excise in connection with number (4) (a) above, showing the types and weights involved.
Written Answers. - Customs and Excise Statistics.
I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners and the Central Statistics Office as follows in relation to the information sought by the Deputy: (1) Tables 1, 2 and 3 following set out the available data on passenger vehicle movement at the ports in question for the years 1975 to 1985 inclusive; (2) Table 4 following sets out information on drug seizures for the period 1 January 1979 to 31 December 1985. Records are not available for the period 1 January 1975 to 31 December 1978; (3) There have been no prosecutions under the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1984; (4) The information sought by the Deputy is set out in table 3 already referred to; (5) Table 5 following sets out particulars of import and export transactions at the ports in question; (6) The Deputy is referred to the answer to query 2 above; (7) The Deputy is referred to the answer to query 2 above; (8) Table 6 following abstracts from table 4 the number of drug seizures in commercial vehicles-containers from 1979 to 1985 inclusive.
TABLE 1
Numbers of Passengers (in thousands) entering the State via specified ports/airports
|
Year |
Dublin Airport |
Shannon Airport |
Cork Airport |
Dublin, Dún Laoghaire, Rosslare, Cork and Ringaskiddy Ports |
|
1975 |
985 |
248 |
99 |
906 |
|
1976 |
980 |
268 |
105 |
856 |
|
1977 |
1,001 |
294 |
113 |
1,041 |
|
1978 |
1,127 |
320 |
128 |
1,264 |
|
1979 |
1,212 |
348 |
139 |
1,277 |
|
1980 |
1,167 |
310 |
131 |
1,375 |
|
1981 |
1,216 |
324 |
131 |
1,346 |
|
1982 |
1,185 |
336 |
122 |
1,441 |
|
1983 |
1,116 |
314 |
115 |
1,518 |
|
1984 |
1,132 |
348 |
121 |
1,569 |
|
1985 |
1,129 |
367 |
126 |
1,570 |
* TABLE 2
Numbers of Passengers (in thousands) leaving the State via specified ports/airports
|
Year |
Dublin Airport |
Shannon Airport |
Cork Airport |
Dublin, Dún Laoghaire, Rosslare, Cork and Ringaskiddy Ports |
|
1975 |
987 |
256 |
97 |
894 |
|
1976 |
986 |
278 |
104 |
847 |
|
1977 |
1,010 |
302 |
114 |
1,037 |
|
1978 |
1,133 |
311 |
132 |
1,254 |
|
1979 |
1,228 |
347 |
140 |
1,288 |
|
1980 |
1,171 |
315 |
132 |
1,369 |
|
1981 |
1,224 |
330 |
132 |
1,342 |
|
1982 |
1,196 |
344 |
123 |
1,449 |
|
1983 |
1,120 |
323 |
113 |
1,510 |
|
1984 |
1,140 |
351 |
121 |
1,586 |
|
1985 |
1,150 |
365 |
127 |
1,585 |
* TABLE 3
Numbers (in thousands) of Private Vehicles (including Buses), Commercial Vehicles (including unaccompanied trailers) and Containers (over 10'×8'×8' or 500 gallons) entering and leaving the State via the ports of Dublin, Dún Laoghaire, Rosslare, Cork and Ringaskiddy.
|
Entering |
Leaving |
|||||
|
Year |
Private Vehicles |
Commercial Vehicles |
Containers |
Private Vehicles |
Commercial Vehicles |
Containers |
|
1975 |
134 |
31 |
89 |
130 |
30 |
86 |
|
1976 |
133 |
45 |
90 |
128 |
41 |
85 |
|
1977 |
169 |
56 |
75 |
160 |
51 |
63 |
|
1978 |
205 |
63 |
71 |
200 |
59 |
67 |
|
1979 |
197 |
73 |
72 |
192 |
69 |
68 |
|
1980 |
210 |
91 |
59 |
208 |
87 |
57 |
|
1981 |
217 |
86 |
69 |
212 |
84 |
64 |
|
1982 |
213 |
86 |
69 |
211 |
83 |
68 |
|
1983 |
211 |
91 |
54 |
211 |
88 |
54 |
|
1984 |
212 |
89 |
59 |
210 |
88 |
58 |
|
1985 |
n.a. |
n.a. |
56 |
n.a. |
n.a. |
55 |
n.a.=not available.
* For reasons of confidentiality data for individual ports have been amalgamated in these tables.
TABLE 4
1979
|
Port/Airport |
No. of Seizures |
Weight (gms) and type |
||||
|
Herbal Cannabis |
Cannabis Resin |
Cocaine |
Heroin |
Other |
||
|
Dublin Airport |
4 |
6,463 |
||||
|
Rosslare |
1 |
15,900 |
||||
|
Dún Laoghaire |
1 |
18 |
||||
|
Sub Total |
6 |
22,381 |
||||
|
Foreign Parcel Post Depot |
||||||
|
Dublin |
2 |
27 |
||||
|
Limerick |
1 |
7 |
||||
|
Sub Total |
3 |
34 |
||||
|
Grand Total |
9 |
22,415 |
Estimated value: £44,880
Note: There were no seizures of prohibited drugs at Dublin Port, Cork Airport, Ringaskiddy, Cork Port, Shannon Airport and the FPP Depot in Cork.
1980
|
Port/Airport |
No. of Seizures |
Weight (gms) and type |
||||
|
Herbal Cannabis |
Cannabis Resin |
Cocaine |
Heroin |
Other |
||
|
Dublin Airport |
9 |
18,398 |
1,007 |
14½ [tablets] methaqualone |
||
|
Dún Laoghaire |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Sub Total |
10 |
18,399 |
1,007 |
14½ [tablets] |
||
|
Foreign Parcel Post Depot |
||||||
|
Dublin |
3 |
1,753 |
||||
|
Limerick |
1 |
1,108 |
||||
|
Cork |
9 |
1,461 |
25,012 |
0.25 |
||
|
Sub Total |
13 |
4,322 |
25,012 |
0.25 |
||
|
Grand Total |
23 |
22,721 |
26,019 |
0.25 |
14½ [tablets] |
Estimated Value: £95,000.
Note: There were no seizures of prohibited drugs at Rosslare Harbour, Dublin Port, Cork Airport, Shannon Airport, Cork Port, Ringaskiddy.
1981
|
Port/Airport |
No. of Seizures |
Weight (gms) and type |
||||
|
Herbal Cannabis |
Cannabis Resin |
Cocaine |
Heroin |
Other |
||
|
Dublin Airport |
31 |
16,095.5 |
95,408.4 |
6.3 |
5 (amphetamines) |
|
|
Shannon Airport |
1 |
10 |
||||
|
Dublin Port |
1 |
1,620,000 |
||||
|
Rosslare |
2 |
2.158 |
4,000 |
|||
|
Dún Laoghaire |
1 |
3 |
||||
|
Sub Total |
36 |
16,110.658 |
1,719,408.4 |
6.3 |
5 |
|
|
Foreign Parcel Post Depots |
||||||
|
Cork |
7 |
72.3 |
30 |
0.5 |
||
|
Dublin |
8 |
233 |
12 |
|||
|
Sub Total |
15 |
305.3 |
42 |
0.5 |
||
|
Grand Total |
51 |
16,415.958 |
1,719,450.4 |
6.8 |
5 |
Estimated value: £4,824,500.
Note: There were no seizures of prohibited drugs at Cork Port, Cork Airport, Ringaskiddy or FPP Depot, Limerick.
1982
|
Port/Airport |
No. of Seizures |
Weight (gms) and type |
||||
|
Herbal Cannabis |
Cannabis Resin |
Cocaine |
Heroin |
Other |
||
|
Dublin Airport |
55 |
115,443 |
6,561.5 |
21.406 |
6 |
10 [speed]12.45 [amphetamines] |
|
Rosslare |
2 |
3 |
3.5 |
|||
|
Shannon Airport |
3 |
1,737.5 |
6 |
.201 |
||
|
Dublin Port |
2 |
2 |
28 [hashish] |
|||
|
Sub Total |
62 |
117,185.5 |
6,571 |
21.607 |
6 |
50.45 |
|
Foreign Parcel Post Depot |
||||||
|
Cork |
3 |
15.00 |
94 |
1 |
||
|
Dublin |
11 |
93.4 |
||||
|
Sub Total |
14 |
108.4 |
94 |
1 |
||
|
Grand Total |
76 |
117,293.9 |
6,665 |
21.607 |
7 |
50.45 |
Estimated value: £372,000
Note: There were no seizures of prohibited drugs at Dún Laoghaire, Cork Airport, Cork Port, Ringaskiddy and FPP Limerick.
1983
|
Port/Airport |
No. of Seizures |
Weight (gms) and type |
||||
|
Herbal Cannabis |
Cannabis Resin |
Cocaine |
Heroin |
Other |
||
|
Dublin Airport |
35 |
43,348.1 |
301,205.5 |
47.59 |
.603 |
|
|
Rosslare |
3 |
1.125 |
2,500 |
|||
|
Cork Airport |
1 |
15 |
||||
|
Sub Total |
39 |
43,349.225 |
303,720.5 |
47.59 |
.603 |
|
|
Foreign Parcel Post Depot |
||||||
|
Dublin |
7 |
42 |
0.42 |
392 |
||
|
Cork |
4 |
16.35 |
25.00 |
|||
|
Sub Total |
11 |
58.35 |
25.42 |
392 |
||
|
Grand Total |
50 |
43,407.575 |
303,745.92 |
47.59 |
392.603 |
Estimated value: £1,220,500
Note: There were no seizures of prohibited drugs at Cork Port, Ringaskiddy, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin Port, Shannon Airport or FPP Depot, Limerick.
1984
|
Port/Airport |
No. of Seizures |
Weight (gms) and type |
||||
|
Herbal Cannabis |
Cannabis Resin |
Cocaine |
Heroin |
Other |
||
|
Dublin Airport |
14 |
3,284.25 |
180.5 |
20 |
||
|
Dún Laoghaire |
2 |
0.6 |
||||
|
Rosslare |
3 |
2,292.29 |
||||
|
Sub Total |
19 |
3,284.25 |
2,473.39 |
20 |
||
|
Foreign Parcel Post Depot. |
||||||
|
Dublin |
12 |
67.78 |
258.4 |
5.6 |
||
|
Sub Total |
12 |
67.78 |
258.4 |
5.6 |
||
|
Grand Total |
31 |
3,352.03 |
2,731.79 |
25.6 |
Estimated value: £33,680
Note: There were no seizures of prohibited drugs at Cork Airport, Cork Port, Ringaskiddy, Dublin Port, Shannon Airport or FPP Depots, Cork and Limerick.
1985
|
Port/Airport |
No. of Seizures |
Weight (gms) and type |
||||
|
Herbal Cannabis |
Cannabis Resin |
Cocaine |
Heroin |
Other |
||
|
Dublin Airport |
27 |
36.5 |
2,325.25 |
7 |
55 |
3 [opium] |
|
Cork Airport |
1 |
5.7 |
||||
|
Dublin Port |
3 |
62,807 |
1,300 |
|||
|
Dún Laoghaire |
2 |
28.69 |
||||
|
Rosslare |
3 |
6 |
||||
|
Cork Port |
1 |
36.44 |
||||
|
Sub Total |
37 |
62,843.5 |
3,702.08 |
7 |
55 |
3 |
|
Foreign Parcel Post Depot |
||||||
|
Dublin |
13 |
445.6 |
9.8 |
0.5 |
||
|
Cork |
8 |
47 |
73 |
|||
|
Sub Total |
21 |
492.6 |
82.8 |
0.5 |
||
|
Grand Total |
58 |
63,336.1 |
3,784.88 |
7.5 |
55 |
3 |
Estimated value: £145,400.
Note: There were no seizures of prohibited drugs at Ringaskiddy, Shannon Airport or FPP Depot, Limerick.
TABLE 5
No. of Imports and Export Transactions Processed at the Ports Indicated.(a)
|
1979 |
1980 |
1981 |
1982 |
1983 |
1984 |
1985(b) |
|
|
Dublin Airport |
|||||||
|
Imports |
244,340 |
216,323 |
216,449 |
214,478 |
217,309 |
227,140 |
179,608 |
|
Exports |
64,950 |
60,546 |
64,225 |
66,985 |
68,642 |
74,999 |
64,835 |
|
Dublin Port |
|||||||
|
Imports |
500,070 |
497,350 |
514,027 |
547,687 |
519,150 |
542,025 |
478,491 |
|
Exports |
113,443 |
117,039 |
102,056 |
107,652 |
106,097 |
114,241 |
118,850 |
|
Dún Laoghaire |
|||||||
|
Imports |
105,468 |
94,726 |
110,746 |
138,158 |
205,318 |
232,378 |
177,403 |
|
Exports |
30,731 |
29,200 |
34,611 |
40,182 |
42,936 |
43,052 |
40,091 |
|
Rosslare |
|||||||
|
Imports |
65,357 |
88,508 |
108,905 |
106,708 |
112,169 |
122,170 |
96,990 |
|
Exports |
37,238 |
45,039 |
53,029 |
58,202 |
58,683 |
70,202 |
59,178 |
|
Cork Airport |
|||||||
|
Imports |
17,138 |
15,361 |
14,843 |
13,953 |
14,553 |
15,553 |
15,314 |
|
Exports |
3,525 |
3,934 |
3,936 |
3,669 |
4,510 |
5,475 |
6,306 |
|
Cork Port |
|||||||
|
Imports |
47,235 |
41,084 |
30,173 |
27,523 |
27,074 |
28,083 |
24,003 |
|
Exports |
15,715 |
13,395 |
11,184 |
8,684 |
2,867 |
3,503 |
4,382 |
|
Ringaskiddy(c) |
|||||||
|
Imports |
2,344 |
968 |
385 |
||||
|
Exports |
4,463 |
3,001 |
2,035 |
||||
|
Shannon Airport |
|||||||
|
Imports |
36,481 |
42,559 |
42,874 |
41,224 |
48,706 |
72,790 |
67,297 |
|
Exports |
19,552 |
19,868 |
17,475 |
17,793 |
24,163 |
27,206 |
25,738 |
Note regarding Customs Documentation Processed at various Ports
(a) Information regarding the number of Customs entries processed annually at ports is not available. However, details of the number of trade transactions processed are available but only for the years after 1978. Each tariff code number quoted on an entry represents a trade transaction and while the number of trade transactions on an entry can vary significantly the average number of trade transactions on an import entry is 1.9 while the average number of trade transactions on an export entry is 1.2.
(b) On 1st January, 1985, the Revenue Commissioners introduced a statistical threshold of £100 in trade statistics from which the details on the attached tabular statement have been extracted. Accordingly the 1985 figures generally do not include details of transactions less than £100 in value.
(c) Information regarding the number of entries processed at Ringaskiddy is not available for the years prior to 1983 as prior to that year the details for Ringaskiddy were included in the figures for Cork port.
TABLE 6
Import Seizures in Commercial Vehicles/Containers from 1979-85
|
Year |
Port |
No. of Seizures |
Weight (gms) and type |
|
|
Herbal Cannabis |
Cannabis Resin |
|||
|
1981 |
Dublin Port |
1 |
1,620,000 |
|
|
1982 |
Dublin Port |
1 |
2 |
|
|
1985 |
Dublin Port |
3 |
62,807 |
1,300 |
|
Rosslare |
1 |
2.5 |
||
|
Total |
6 |
62,809 |
1,621,302.5 |
Note: The above seizures are included in Table 4.