asked the Minister for Finance if he will state how soon after the entry of Ireland to the EEC it will be possible to remove the customs posts on the Border.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Border Customs Posts.
55.
The removal of customs posts from the land frontier would not be a predictable consequence of our accession to the European Communities.
On the assumption that the Border has not ceased to exist in the meantime, existing customs controls would have to be fully maintained during the transitional period of five years when we would be moving towards complete free trade within the Community in industrial and agricultural products. Also customs control at the frontier would still be essential after the transitional period, for example, for the collection of fiscal duties, enforcement of import or export restrictions imposed for reasons of public policy and for the compilation of trade statistics. On the assumption mentioned and subject to the reservations I have stated, I believe that after the transitional period it would be possible to relax considerably customs control of cross-Border traffic.