Authorities ‘not ignoring cross-border smuggling’
Comments by fellow Fine Gael TD Patrick O’Donovan forced the minister into the denial.
The minister also said the issue of whether a joint cross-border force was needed to tackle the situation would be discussed at a meeting of the North-South Council in April.
Mr O’Donovan made his remarks at a special meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly in the Seanad chamber which debated a report on the issue of smuggling and fuel laundering.
The Limerick TD suggested republicans were benefiting from the activities.
“To borrow the words of one individual who frequents around here — they haven’t gone away, you know. And they haven’t gone away.
“They’ve morphed now into people that are peddling fuel and cigarettes and having a very, very plush life on the backs of it,” Mr O’Donovan said.
Fine Gael Senator Paul Coghlan said “crime overlords” controlling fuel laundering in the border region acted with scant regard for the law.
“Too much time has elapsed for the law to be held in disregard as apparently it is. These crime overlords seem to be able to act with impunity, certainly with scant regard for the law,” the senator said.
Mr Coghlan chairs an assembly committee which recommended a new cross-border task force to deal with the situation.
Sinn Féin MLA Barry McElduff said a letter from the Garda Commissioner had stated the force had “no information or intelligence to support the assertion that the Provisional IRA” was involved in such activities.
Mr McElduff said his party unequivocally condemned fuel laundering, cigarette smuggling and counterfeiting.
Fianna Fáil Senator Jim Walsh said the committee had been told a percentage of the illegal profits went to what he called “the cause.”
Speaking after the British-Irish meeting, Mr Flanagan dismissed the appeasement claims.
“Every effort is being made to deal with this issue,” the minister said.
