Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
276. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware dangerous safety-related car parts that have not been euro-type approved are readily available for sale in Ireland; if he will provide details of how many actions or prosecutions have been taken by Irish Customs to stop this dangerous practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35807/23]
View answerRevenue, as Ireland’s Tax and Customs administration, is responsible for managing the importation and exportation of goods in accordance with European Union Customs legislation. Customs controls are necessary to protect public health, to ensure food safety and product standards and to protect EU businesses from unfair international competition. The legislation governing the importation of goods is harmonised at EU level and the provisions are common throughout all Member States in the EU.
Where goods are entering Ireland from outside the EU, there is a requirement on the importer to file an import declaration. All declarations are risk-assessed from the point of view of compliance with a range of regulatory measures and, where necessary, documentary checks and/or physical checks are carried out.
Revenue regularly engages with a range of Competent Authorities in relation to imported goods. Goods brought into Ireland without the CE mark, or where Revenue officers believe there to be a risk to health and safety, are referred to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). Recently the Automotive Market Surveillance Authority (AMSA) in Ireland has been appointed by the Department of Transport in line with EU legislation and has taken over some of the functions previously held by the CCPC. The role of the AMSA is to ensure that new vehicles and their components meet with type approval requirements under EU regulation. In the event of a detection of non-EU approved car parts or car parts which Revenue Officers believe pose a risk to health and safety, such incidences are referred to the relevant Competent Authority for further investigation and possible actioning.
Revenue has no recent detections of non-EU approved car parts and there are no prosecutions relating to such importations.
During the period September 2023 to January 2024, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), Europol, and EU Member States will run an EU-wide operation targeting the distribution and sale of counterfeit automotive parts. This operation will involve the sharing of information between the participating EU agencies and bodies and the automotive industry with a view to identifying the persons, companies, locations, and methodologies used to distribute and sell counterfeit automotive parts. Revenue’s Customs Service will participate in this operation with a view to identifying methods of cooperation with the participating agencies, bodies and companies, as part of Revenue’s focus on risks posed by trade in counterfeit automotive parts.
