Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 July 2012
101 Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Finance the protocol and requirements that exist for small airports for customs and excise inspectors upon the landing of unscheduled flights at these airports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33041/12]
View answerI am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the terms and conditions of approval of airports by the Revenue Commissioners, as a place for the arrival of aircraft from outside the State, requires the operator/proprietor/licensee of each airport to notify Customs of all arrivals and to maintain a record of all such arrivals. In general, customs controls at small airports are risk-based and carried out by mobile Revenue staff. In the event of an unscheduled landing by a flight from abroad, the person in charge of the airport is required to report to Customs giving details of the landing, the pilot, the registration of the aircraft, whether there are goods or passengers on board, place from where the aircraft came and is destined, whether the landing was a forced landing outside the control of the pilot and whether the pilot expects to be able to continue the flight. This information is used for risk assessment by Customs and will determine what action is necessary.
It is important to note by way of context that the operating environment for Customs has been shaped to a significant degree by the Internal Market and the related principles of freedom of movement within the EU. Of specific relevance are the abolition of routine and systemic Customs checks on goods and passengers moving within any part of the EU and the elimination of Customs controls on the baggage of intra-Community passengers other than for anti-smuggling checks. This is particularly relevant in the case of the smaller airports outside of Dublin, Cork and Shannon where passenger traffic is predominantly intra-Community. In fact some of the smaller airports have no international flights at all. In this context, Revenue's approach has of necessity been to balance the freedom of movement principle in regard to people and goods with the need to control smuggling and enforce prohibitions and restrictions.
