Deputy Conlan hails ‘very constructive’ Dáil Diesel Laundering committee debate

Proposed new measures to help eradicate border problem

Cavan/Monaghan Fine Gael Dáil Deputy Sean Conlan, speaking on Wednesday last following a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport  which focused on illegal diesel laundering,  stated that the meeting was ‘very constructive and aimed to address a very serious problem which exists particularly in border areas’.

Deputy Conlan said that diesel laundering costs local authorities and ultimately the Department of the Environment a considerable amount of money every year which could be put to better use towards the delivery of essential services in these difficult economic times.

Acting Monaghan County Manager, David Fallon, and Monaghan County Council Environmental Officer Kieran Duffy were also among a number of officials who addressed the Joint Oireachtas Committee.  The extent of the fuel laundering problem locally was effectively illustrated by the contributions of both Mr Fallon and Mr Duffy.  Measures will be introduced shortly by the Government in the Finance Bill to assist Revenue to eradicate the fuel laundering problem.

Deputy Conlan said that he agreed with Revenue officials that it was currently far too easy to purchase large quantities of marked diesel. The Revenue officials now favour a rigorously controlled record based delivery and sales system which will place greater emphasis on the ‘paper trail’ of diesel deliveries and sales to and from the country’s 3,200 licenced filling stations.

The Dáil committee heard that Revenue had already targeted and closed 32 filling stations suspected of using laundered fuel.

The Oireachtas Transport Committee heard from Mr Fallon and Mr Duffy that that since 2004 Monaghan County Council alone has spent €1.5 million on the collection and disposal of diesel wash - the acid based by-product which results from fuel laundering. The council is expected to incur costs of an additional €200,000 in the disposal of material currently awaiting shipping to Germany for specialist disposal.

Since 2004 Monaghan County Council had disposed of 276,000 litres of sulphuric acid wash representing 276 tonnes, 360 tonnes of contaminated cat litter which is also used to remove marker dye and 200 tonnes of bleaching earth sludge. Mr Fallon told the committee that disposal of diesel wash costs Monaghan County Council €1 for every litre of diesel wash which has to be disposed of.

The committee also heard that over the period 2004 to January 2012 Monaghan County Council has dealt with over 150 separate incidents of diesel wash dumping.  In January 2012 Monaghan County Council  has already dealt with  ten incidents of diesel wash dumping with seven incidents in the previous week alone.

Proposed new measures to help eradicate border problem

Cavan/Monaghan Fine Gael Dáil Deputy Sean Conlan, speaking on Wednesday last following a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport  which focused on illegal diesel laundering,  stated that the meeting was ‘very constructive and aimed to address a very serious problem which exists particularly in border areas’.

Deputy Conlan said that diesel laundering costs local authorities and ultimately the Department of the Environment a considerable amount of money every year which could be put to better use towards the delivery of essential services in these difficult economic times.

Acting Monaghan County Manager, David Fallon, and Monaghan County Council Environmental Officer Kieran Duffy were also among a number of officials who addressed the Joint Oireachtas Committee.  The extent of the fuel laundering problem locally was effectively illustrated by the contributions of both Mr Fallon and Mr Duffy.  Measures will be introduced shortly by the Government in the Finance Bill to assist Revenue to eradicate the fuel laundering problem.

Deputy Conlan said that he agreed with Revenue officials that it was currently far too easy to purchase large quantities of marked diesel. The Revenue officials now favour a rigorously controlled record based delivery and sales system which will place greater emphasis on the ‘paper trail’ of diesel deliveries and sales to and from the country’s 3,200 licenced filling stations.

The Dáil committee heard that Revenue had already targeted and closed 32 filling stations suspected of using laundered fuel.

The Oireachtas Transport Committee heard from Mr Fallon and Mr Duffy that that since 2004 Monaghan County Council alone has spent €1.5 million on the collection and disposal of diesel wash - the acid based by-product which results from fuel laundering. The council is expected to incur costs of an additional €200,000 in the disposal of material currently awaiting shipping to Germany for specialist disposal.

Since 2004 Monaghan County Council had disposed of 276,000 litres of sulphuric acid wash representing 276 tonnes, 360 tonnes of contaminated cat litter which is also used to remove marker dye and 200 tonnes of bleaching earth sludge. Mr Fallon told the committee that disposal of diesel wash costs Monaghan County Council €1 for every litre of diesel wash which has to be disposed of.

The committee also heard that over the period 2004 to January 2012 Monaghan County Council has dealt with over 150 separate incidents of diesel wash dumping.  In January 2012 Monaghan County Council  has already dealt with  ten incidents of diesel wash dumping with seven incidents in the previous week alone.