RAS Blog

Tag: Declan Breathnach

  • Retailers Against Smuggling attend Leinster House briefing to raise awareness of the growing concern surrounding smuggling in Ireland

    Wednesday 4 July, Dublin

    On Wednesday, 4 July, Retailers Against Smuggling (RAS) attended a Leinster House briefing hosted by Fianna Fáil Deputy Declan Breathnach to raise awareness of the growing concern surrounding smuggling in Ireland.

    Following the success of our ‘Brexit, the Border and the Black Market’ roundtable in Belfast on 15 June, Deputy Breathnach invited RAS into Leinster House to speak about how illicit trade is negatively impacting Irish Retailers and our local communities.

    RAS believe that until measures are taken to effectively tackle smuggling to protect small businesses, there should be no further increase in excise. We have witnessed a growth in Non-Irish duty paid which is a major concern to retailers, from 17% in 2013 to 20% in 2017 and due to the year-on-year increases in excise, this is likely to grow even further. Further hikes will lead to greater price differentials between legitimate, legal, duty-paid products and illicit, non-duty-paid products. We are calling for a moratorium on further excise increases until they can be proven not to lead to a surge in smuggling.

    RAS spokesperson, Benny Gilsenan, said: “We want to give a voice to the shopkeepers around the country that are having their business undermined by smuggled tobacco, alcohol and solid fuel. Retailers face an uncertain future with Brexit looming, so the Government needs to totally reconsider its policy of year-on-year excise increases, which clearly helping fuel the illicit trade and to provide more resources to Revenue to stop the flow of illicit goods into Ireland and our local communities. We’re grateful for the opportunity today to speak at Deputy Breathnach’s briefing today and help raise awareness of this growing issue for small retailers.”

  • Retailers and the Exchequer suffer as over 742 million cigarettes bought illegally or brought from overseas

    27 April 2017

    The Revenue 2016 Annual report shows more resources are needed to tackle tobacco and alcohol smuggling:

    • In 2016, 10% of the cigarettes in Ireland were illegal, while 8% were non-Irish duty paid (NIDP)
    • This means that 742 million cigarettes in 2016 were not purchased from registered and legitimate retailers in Ireland.
    • Additionally, 9% of Roll Your Own (RYO) tobacco was illegal, with 3% NIDP.

    Retailers Against Smuggling (RAS) welcome the publication of Revenue’s Annual Report 2016 and Ipsos MRBI Illegal Tobacco Products Retailers Against Smuggling Research Surveys 2016, in particular the inclusion of Roll Your Own (RYO) tobacco figures ahead of the introduction of a 30g minimum pack size on 20 May this year. RAS now call for the Government to provide more resources to combat smuggling, particularly due to the uncertainty caused by Brexit.

    Small and medium-sized retailers’ trade is being undercut by smugglers, and the Revenue report reiterates the depth of the involvement of criminal gangs in smuggling of illicit tobacco in particular. RAS have repeatedly voiced their concerns about the impact of the introduction of a 30g minimum RYO pouch size on 20 May. This will mean the vast majority of RYO consumers face large ‘out of pocket’ spending increases, some as high as 300%.

    RAS spokesperson, Benny Gilsenan, commented: “Revenue’s statistics show once again that Ireland still has a huge problem with the illicit trade, which harms small retailers and strengthens criminal gangs. Only yesterday, RTE ‘Liveline’ broadcast a piece on adolescents advertising cheap, illegal cigarettes in Meath. These activities put retailers out of pocket and are happening because of a lack of awareness of the impact smuggling has on retailers, as well as a paucity of investment in combatting it,” Mr Gilsenan remarked.

    Alcohol

    The figures also highlight the shocking disparity between alcohol seizures and summary convictions: there were 1,875 seizures of illicit alcohol in 2016, but only four summary convictions. RAS call for proper enforcement of the current legislation to ensure those who sell illegal alcohol are met with the full force of the law. Retailers nationwide have paid all the relevant duties and taxes, and are missing out on revenue and footfall as a result.

    “At a time when retailers are facing an increasingly uncertain future with the looming spectre of Brexit, the Government have a responsibility to protect retailers and Ireland’s communities from this prevalent criminal activity.” Gilsenan continued.

    “RAS support Fianna Fáil TD Declan Breathnach’s Sale of Illicit Goods Bill, tabled in March. But it is clear to retailers that the Government needs to step up and protect small retailers before Ireland’s recovery is further threatened.”

  • Retailers Against Smuggling welcome the Sale of Illicit Goods Bill as landmark step in the fight against smuggling

    3 April 2017

    Retailers Against Smuggling (RAS) today welcome the introduction of the Sale of Illicit Goods Bill as a significant step in combating smuggling into Ireland – a problem that cost the exchequer as much as €2.4bn in 2015. The aim of the draft legislation is to deter people from buying illicit alcohol, solid fuel and tobacco by introducing on-the-spot fines for buying goods where taxes have not been paid.

    RAS spokesman, Benny Gilsenan, welcomed the Bill as a means of protecting small retailers: “This Bill will help protect small retailers by deterring the purchase of illicit goods. This goes some way to closing the gaping holes in Irish legislation that have existed until now.”
    While RAS welcome the draft legislation, we also recognise that Revenue officials and An Garda Síochána need more resources to combat smuggling in the coming years:

    “Brexit has created a political atmosphere that will likely make cross-border smuggling more lucrative, with a fluctuating sterling and potential tariffs. The Bill ensures that a major gap in the legislation surrounding the illicit trade is closed – the next steps are to ensure that retailers and Revenue do not lose out on yet more money to criminals,” Gilsenan continued.

    The draft legislation will be tabled in Dáil Éireann by Fianna Fáil TD for Louth/Meath East, Declan Breathnach and Robert Troy Longford/Westmeath, on 4 April. RAS would like to thank and commend Deputy Breathnach for his dedication in drafting a Bill that is important to the economy of our island during these uncertain times.