asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware of the difficulties created on bank holidays at customs stations along the Border; if he will arrange to have them opened on a 24 hour basis to facilitate hauliers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Customs Stations Opening Hours.
121.
I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that customs facilities are provided at import stations and appropriate frontier posts on bank holidays for the import-export of merchandise provided a prior request for attendance has been made and subject to payment of the appropriate fee.
Customs attendance is provided free of charge for long periods at frontier posts on bank holidays for the clearance of passengers and their baggage. The Revenue Commissioners consider that there is no undue delay in clearing goods on bank holidays but it is inevitable that traffic delays will occur at certain times because of the large volume of passenger motor vehicles on land frontier roads on such days. Every effort is made to keep delays to the minimum.
The level of staffing and the hours during which attendance is given on bank holidays are determined by reference to previously established patterns of traffic flows through each post-station. It is considered that the present arrangements for the clearance of goods are satisfactory and are the most economic in the present circumstances.
It is not proposed to open customs posts-stations on a 24 hour basis as the volume of traffic and the pattern of peak crossing times would not warrant such hours of opening.