The Revenue Commissioners are conducting an immediate review of the licensing of the State's 27 aerodromes in the wake of the seizure of 50kg of heroin on an aircraft destined for Weston airport in Co Kildare.
Minister of State Brian Lenihan said the review would include improving measures for control and prior reporting of arrivals at the aerodrome and the frequency of Customs checks.
He was responding to TDs' calls for permanent Customs operations at small airports following the €10 million drugs seizure. Mr Lenihan said that between February and July 2006 there were 142 flight arrivals from EU and five from non-EU countries at Weston airport, compared to 1,500 flights a week at Dublin airport.
Catherine Murphy (Ind, Kildare North) had earlier demanded that Weston should either have a permanent Customs presence or have its licence suspended altogether.
Ms Murphy said that "in a parliamentary reply in February, the Minister for Finance stated that the volume and type of business conducted at Weston aerodrome does not justify the deployment of a permanent Customs presence there. However, the seizure of approximately 50kg of drugs, the arrest of five individuals and the impounding of a jet belonging to the aerodrome's owner strongly highlights the error of the Minister's position."
Tony Gregory (Ind, Dublin Central) noted that in one year at Dublin airport €6.7 million in drugs was seized "yet one flight to Weston could have brought in €10 million of the worst of drugs, heroin".
He added that "we know the owners of Weston haven't a great record themselves in their respect for the laws of this land". But when the leas Ceann Comhairle Séamus Pattison warned against making allegations against people outside the House, Mr Gregory said these issues were a matter of public record and claimed Weston's owners had no regard for the State's planning laws. He called on the Criminal Assets Bureau to thoroughly investigate every one of those involved in the Weston airport-linked arrests.
Joan Burton (Labour, Dublin West) said the Government had to move quickly, given the phenomenal growth in the number of privately-owned aircraft in Celtic Tiger Ireland.
