asked the Minister for Finance the action, if any, he has taken to prevent the widespread sale by roadside traders of goods smuggled across the Border.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Roadside Traders.
30.
The trading activities of roadside traders have been under constant surveillance by the Customs since early 1972. Since then numerous seizures of both goods and conveyances have been made and prosecutions have been taken and convictions obtained in a large number of cases. Results of recent investigations tend to show that roadside trading in smuggled goods is now on a much reduced scale compared with 1973 and 1974.
Is the Minister aware that in a recent television programme taken at Ballinasloe, County Galway, one of these people openly admitted that he was making £7,000 to £8,000 a year from smuggled goods coming over the Border?
I am not so aware. I am glad that the Deputy has drawn my attention to the programme in question. I have no doubt that the Revenue Commissioners, if they have not already seen the programme, will be interested in what the Deputy has to say.
If these people can blatantly admit that they are making that sort of money without paying income tax or turnover tax, indeed selling goods that are not even manufactured in this country—there is no employment content in them—would the Minister not agree that he should make a severe crackdown on these people and protect the rights of those who are paying taxes and rates?
The Deputy may be assured that the Revenue Commissioners are very active on this front. A very large number of prosecutions have already been taken. Thirty-five convictions have already been obtained. There are further cases still pending. A quantity of goods has been seized but the indications of late are that most of the goods now being sold are purchased from domestic sources and are then sold on the roadside. Perhaps the public who gullibly buy there would find out if they investigated that they could get some of these goods at a more competitive price through the normal channels than by purchasing them at the particular locations they do.
We are not merely talking about the small items. We are also talking about smuggled cars that are being sold in this country and being offered at much cheaper rates without value-added tax on them.
A number of people who were foolish enough to make such purchases found that it is a very costly process, indeed, when the Revenue Commissioners caught up with them.
Might I ask the Minister if value-added tax has been collected from sales made by these people?
So far as it is possible to do so the Revenue Commissioners ensure that value-added tax is paid by the persons in question. Some of the traders in question are, as I pointed out on a previous occasion, registered for value-added tax. Others are not, claiming that their sales are such as exempt them from the obligation to be registered for value-added tax purposes. But the Revenue Commissioners will continue to maintain and, if necessary, improve their surveillance in this area.
Question No. 31.
Might I ask the Minister if these traders have been assessed for income tax by the Revenue Commissioners?
Where appropriate, yes.
Is the Minister saying——
That is the information I received from the Revenue Commissioners. Deputies will appreciate that I cannot give, because I have not been furnished with, detailed particulars of the tax position of any particular people.
I have allowed a lot of latitude on this question.
For instance, on one occasion recently I was asked a parliamentary question about a particular organisation. I was in a position to confirm that, contrary to suspicion, the organisation in question was, in fact, registered for value-added tax purposes.
A final supplementary from Deputy Davern.
Would the Minister say whether he is satisfied with 35 convictions against the number of traders who are dealing in smuggled and illegal goods in this country who are trading every day in every county on every road in this country——
(Interruptions.)
I presume that people trading is not evidence——
May I finish the question?
The Minister collects his tax, his value-added tax, his rates but he does not protect people——
(Interruptions.)
Order, please.
Enforcement of the law is a matter for the Revenue Commissioners not for the Minister for Finance.
I presume that the 35 convictions date back since 1972 to the present date because that is the date the Minister mentioned he became aware of the activities of these traders. Is the Minister satisfied with that number of prosecutions and convictions?
That is not the number of prosecutions.
That is the number of convictions.
That is the number of convictions.
Since 1972?
If the number of convictions is much less than the number of prosecutions, it is a fair indication of the difficulty of proving alleged offences.
Is it 35 convictions?
Yes.
Is it 35 convictions since 1972?
I have given Deputy Davern every latitude.
I have not the date on which the convictions first began.