asked the Minister for Finance if he will state in respect of each of the years 1956, 1957 and 1958 (1) the value of butter seized by the Customs, (2) the total of fines imposed in respect of such seizures, (3) the amount of such fines in fact collected by the Revenue Commissioners, (4) the number of cases in which goods were seized by the Customs, and (5) the number of cases in respect of which prosecutions followed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Seizure of Butter.
The information requested is not available for the year 1956 as no separate record of butter seizures was kept for that year. No prosecution was ordered in respect of butter in 1956.
The required information in respect of the years 1957 and 1958 is given in the tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
The following is the statement:—
1957 |
1958 |
|
Value of butter seized |
£5,700approximately |
£4,100approximately |
Total of fines imposed (Court penalties and compromise penalties) |
£3,941 |
£54,107 |
Amount of fines collected |
£1,941 |
£3,133 |
Number of seizures |
166 |
1,169 |
Number of prosecutions ordered |
40 |
113 |
NOTE.—The figures do not include postal seizures, the details of which are not readily available. These are almost always small—1 to 2 lbs.