Austin Currie
Question:198 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Finance the arrangements which exist at Weston Aerodrome, Lucan, County Dublin, for customs clearance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4179/02]
Written Answers. - Customs Clearance Procedures.
I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the Customs and Excise Service of their office has responsibility for customs clearance at Weston Aerodrome. The aerodrome is licensed and approved by the Revenue Commissioners in respect of flights to or from other member states of the EU. Flights to and from EU destinations are permitted provided that: no third country (non-EU) goods are carried on board; no stores are carried on board; no passengers who have originated in a non-EU country and who have not been cleared at another EU airport are on board; no goods carried on board are being exported to a non-EU country; and customs intervention is not necessary for the purposes of enforcing a prohibition or restriction on importation or exportation.
Save as permitted by the commissioners, flights to Weston from outside the EU must first clear customs at an international community airport; and flights from Weston to destinations outside the EU must depart via an international community airport. There are three international community airports in Ireland, Dublin, Shannon and Cork. Flights into Weston from places outside the EU are infrequent and prior permission must be obtained from customs in respect of these.
The volume and type of business conducted at Weston – primarily national and EU flights – does not justify the deployment of a permanent Customs presence there. However, customs officers maintain close liaison with the airport management and visit Weston regularly as a check against the landing or exportation of prohibited goods, in particularly controlled drugs. This type of liaison is conducted under the customs drugs watch programme, a coastal and airfield reporting system that establishes confidential liaison between customs enforcement officers and relevant operators.
By agreement with the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform, Customs will report to the Department and the Garda Síochána if they suspect any non-national of the EU – European Economic Area has entered the State at a licensed aerodrome.