Adjournment Matter. - Customs Officers Post-1992 Employment Prospects. – Seanad Éireann (19th Seanad) – Wednesday, 4 Apr 1990

Adjournment Matter. - Customs Officers Post-1992 Employment Prospects.

Mrs. Doyle

As I understand the Minister of State, Deputy Joe Walsh, is making his way in to take this adjournment debate. May I make a minor amendment to the wording of the motion? My motion should read: "The need for the Minister for Finance to outline immediately the future employment prospects for all our customs officers in the light of the free trade position in the EC from 1 January 1993 and in regard to his recent announcement concerning the introduction of automatic entry processing and direct trader input from 1 January 1991." That is how it should read.

I welcome the Minister of State, but I am very disappointed that the Minister for Finance could not find half an hour to come into the House this evening to address this most important issue. He has avoided the pleading of the Customs officials to communicate with them in relation to their futures post-1992 and, more immediately, post-1991 after the introduction of AEP. I say to the Minister of State what I have said as a former Minister of State myself, that I recognise the "rent a Minister" syndrome. The Minister has been wheeled in here tonight, he has been handed the script, and I must say I object to that treatment of this most important issue. He is personally welcome nonetheless.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food (Mr. J. Walsh)

I thank the Senator.

Mrs. Doyle

He has but a job to do but will he please let his colleague know how I feel on the matter? The main reason morale among the Customs officials, both indoor and outdoor, is at an all time low is the failure of management and the Revenue Commissioners to communicate with and to update the customs and excise group of the PSEU on the effects of the completion of the Internal Market on customs and excise generally, namely, the effect of the impact of 1992 or the post-1992 situation in the EC. To that problem can be added a further layer of uncertainty in relation to the staffing implications of the introduction of AEP — automated entry processing. Basic staff-management procedures have been totally ignored, and I accuse the Minister's colleague, the Minister for Finance, Deputy A. Reynolds, of creating unnecessary tension.

AEP, proposed to start in January 1991, is a newly automated import-export procedure in a computerised system. It includes DTI — direct trader input — which is basically the computerisation of Customs clearance documents generally.

There are many questions to be asked of the Minister. Why is there such a huge investment as we look forward to a barrier-free Europe? I am talking about AEP and DTI, and the hardware and, I hope, the training costs that will be necessary. Given the philosophy and the concept of an internal market, a barrierfree market, why are we investing in such expensive hardware at this time? Is it because the direct trader input is part of a master plan to collect trade statistics after 1993? Presumably there will be no Customs clearance documents as we now know them, but import-export statistics will still have to be collected. Is that really why DTI is being brought into the procedure at this stage? It is hard to understand. Why the millions for the managed network, if this is not the reason behind it? What company will affect the managed network? Has a contract gone out? Has the Minister even tendered for the contract? What is going on? Why the secrecy over all this area? January 1991 was to be the commencement date of AEP. Is that the target now to be met?

AEP has major implications for the indoor Customs officials. Although it will impact somewhat on the outdoor staff also. In Rosslare Harbour — I do not apologise for having a particular interest in Rosslare Harbour as a Customs post — five of the 16 indoor staff are vulnerable. The hardware for the computer terminals is still awaited in Rosslare Harbour and, I am sure, at other Customs posts. Test runs are due to start there in June 1990, yet the hardware has not arrived. What training will be put in place to make this system of AEP effective? Be sure that those in the fraud industry will be one step ahead, yet we have not even indicated to the Customs officials what training will be put in place for this total changeover and automation in this procedure.

Is it any wonder the Minister faces limited industrial action in Dublin from what was the Indoor Officers' Association? There has been no consultation on redundancy, redeployment, retraining, maintenance of seniority, the possibility of whether they may buy out contracts instead of opting for redundancy, etc. Could the EC not fund the purchase of contracts? After all, there are 30,000 EC Customs officials directly affected by the Single Market provisions and there has been no forward planning, at least if there has it is the best kept secret around. We must remember that since Customs officials by their qualifications and experience are totally unprepared for private sector employment, that option is virtually unavailable to them.

It must be emphasised that Customs officials welcome change and accept it as necessary and will co-operate, respond and contribute to it while ensuring justice, equity and balance — to borrow the words of Richard Beamish, Chairman of the Customs and Excise group of the PSEU.

Is the Mattheaus programme a preparation for European redeployment? Are we looking at the concept of European Customs officials rather than national ones? The Minister's answers are awaited. His colleague, the Minister for finance, has evaded answers for so long now that I hope the Minister of State has come in here tonight prepared with answers for these questions.

With consideration of redeployment the whole question of general servicing raises its head. The PSEU welcome this. There will be difficulties and concerns, not least in the taxes union. What is the present state of negotiation on this most important issue? Why has the Palma document not been brought to Customs officials' notice? This sets out the timetable of changes to be introduced between now and 1992 in the control of movement of people and merchandise in the EC. Why the secrecy? Why not put it up on the table and discuss it with the Customs officials and their union representatives? What is there the Minister does not like or wants to keep from them?

The announcement of the Minister for Finance, Deputy A. Reynolds, in January last failed to address the staffing implications of automated entry processing or the very important area of training for this new system. There is a very sophisticated fraud industry on standby, and if the Minister fails his officials by not providing comprehensive training — time is running out if the January 1991 deadline is to be met — he can rest assured that those involved in the fraud industry are ready and waiting.

I ask the Minister to detail without further delay whether Customs officials will be involved in collecting Revenue and trade statistics, public health, coastal patrols etc. I welcome the recent introduction of the first coastal patrol boat on our waters. Will they be involved in cytosanitary checks? The whole rabies spectre raises its head. Will they be involved in arms and security, import prohbitions, drugs, arms, etc? Will they continue to be involved, for example, in the registration of shipping? There is an interesting aside here, import licences have gone for agriculture and fishery products but prohbitions have not been done away with. For example, meat still has to be inspected. The Customs agency involvement has been done away with but not the involvement of the Department of Agriculture officials who now ask customs to hold on to consignments of meat for them. The Customs have no role but they have to act on behalf of the Department of Agriculture officials in this area. Should we not be talking about the possibility of a one stop shop of Government employees at Customs posts and borders?

What are the Minister's intentions in relation to the future of the men operating our Border at present? What role will there be for the Border posts? What kind of checks will be necessary to maintin post-1992? At Rosslare Harbour we had the spectacle of vets rushing up from County Waterford to do Department of Agriculture checks. Surely this inefficiency can no longer be tolerated?

I ask the Minister to specifically answer the questions I asked. For too long the Minister for Finance has evaded the answers and has created tension which has resulted in industrial action. None of the Customs officials want to turn the clock back but they are human beings first and Customs officials second. Their future — and the future of their wives, husbands and children — must be prepared and planned for. The Minister, by his inaction and lack of communication with these people who have served the State well for so long, is preventing this planning from being put in place.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food (Mr. J. Walsh)

I thank Senator Doyle for the particularly warm welcome. I am very glad to be able to reply to this most important issue and the Senator did a service to everybody by having it discussed here. I am glad to have a comprehensive reply for her and her friends in Rosslare.

I am glad of this opportunity to clarify the position as best I can as to how the future employment prospects of our Customs officers may be affected in the light of the free trade position that will prevail from 1 January 1993 in the European Community and the introduction of a computerised automated entry processing system which will allow direct trader input from 1 January 1991.

The Revenue Commissioners have for some time been addressing the staffing issues what will arise on foot of both these developments. At this stage it is not possible to accurately stress the staffing implications for Customs and Excise in advance of definite proposals emerging in relation to the completion of the internal market.

In the meantime, a memorandum prepared by the Revenue Commissioners outlining the changes in the role of the Customs and Excise service which the abolition of border controls from 1992 would bring has been circulated to the unions concerned. The unions have been consulted and are kept abreast of developments at all times.

Mrs. Doyle

The staffing and training were not dealt with in the document.

Mr. J. Walsh

As soon as the hardware and software are available, there will be full and comprehensive courses available to all the staff concerned. That is a definite commitment in regard to that matter.

The post 1992 situation is also being examined in other Departments such as Agriculture and Food, Justice and the Environments whose border control functions are carried out by the staff of the Customs and Excise on an agency basis.

A sub-committee of the Civil Service General Council has been established under the conciliation and arbitration scheme to examine the implications of the implementation of the internal market, and, in particular, the consequences for staffing.

There is also a pilot survey at present being carried out by the Institute of Public Administration for the purpose of establishing the attitude and views of Customs and Excise staff to redeployment and voluntary redundancy in the context of changes that may arise on completion of the internal market.

I am sure the Senator can appreciate from the foregoing that the Revenue Commissioners are keeping the situation under review — they will keep staff interests informed and will consult them as appropriate.

Whereas the setting up of the internal market arose from an EC decision, the decision to introduce an automated entry processing system was taken by ourselves. Ireland has a very open economy and we have approved our ability to adapt to a competitive free market since we joined the European Community in 1973. Our experience since then has highlighted the necessity for the fastest possible processing of customs documentation on behalf of the country's trading interests to allow them to compete on an equal footing with their competitors.

Representations had been made for some years past to the Revenue Commissioners seeking the early implementation of a computerised system. The introduction of the single administrative document (SAD) in 1988, which led to the investment by many companies in computer hardware and SAD preparation software, gave further impetus to trade demands for a system which would accept the SAD data automatically.

It is planned to introduce the new system of technology, viz. automated entry processing at all import and export points including the land frontier on 1 January 1991. The computerisation of customs import and export procedures will facilitate the automated presentation of custom documentation by traders.

Automatic entry processing will computerise most customs procedures at present applied manually to the single administrative document (SAD) which is the principal import and export document. An important feature of the automatic entry processing system will be the facility given traders to electronically transmit SAD data directly from their own premises via a managed network to customs through direct trader input (DTI) rather than presenting documentation at customs offices. By this means, importers and exporters using the AEP system will have their documentation processed and Customs formalities completed at the earliest possible moment — the whole purpose of the exercise. The customs service will, therefore, be to the forefront in using electronic technology to facilitate Irish importers and exporters in meeting the increasingly competitive conditions in the Single European Market and beyond.

The full impact of automated entry processing on the employment of Customs and Excise staff will not become clear until sometime after 1 January 1991 as this will depend on the level of participation by the trading community in the direct trader input facility. In the meantime, discussions have commenced between the Revenue Commissioners and staff unions involved on the introduction of the proposed new procedures.

The Department of Finance will be kept fully informed of all developments by the Revenue Commissioners and will assist them in dealing with any particular problems being encountered by the staff as the new computerised system is put in place. Revenue, the import and export trades and the economy as a whole will benefit from its introduction.

I have complete faith in the ability of the staff of the Revenue Commissioners to deliver a satisfactory automatic entry processing system in the proposed time-scale and also to deal with any staffing issues that may arise.

I should like to again record my appreciation to Senator Doyle for raising this matter. I reiterate that full information has been given to the unions at all times in relation to the introduction of this facility. It is in full consultation with the unions and through their industrial relations procedures and the Revenue that this facility and both these schemes will be introduced.

There has been full consultation with the union with regard to AEP. It must be remembered that proposals have been made which are open to negotiation. The Revenue Commissioners are fully aware of the human dimension of the issues involved and know the difficulties of redeployment, redundancies and the impact of new technology. This is a state of the art technology and should give tremendous benefit to an open economy like ours as people can call to Customs posts rather than having to deal with loads of documents and paperwork. They will have electronic documentation sorted out for them——

Seanad Éireann debate - Wednesday, 4 Apr 1990

Adjournment Matter. - Customs Officers Post-1992 Employment Prospects.

Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 4 Apr 1990