THE OIREACHTAS transport committee is to discuss the cost of fuel laundering to the state later this morning with representatives from the Revenue Commissioners and farming and retail groups.

Committee chairman Ciarán Lynch TD said that illegal fuel laundering is “costing jobs in legitimate businesses which are finding it difficult to compete against black market operators”.

“On top of this, there is a massive environmental issue from the illegal washing out of agricultural diesel to sell it on for road use,” he added.

The Oireachtas committee will hear from Department of the Environment and Revenue officials as well as from representatives of the Irish Farmers’ Association, the Irish Petrol Retail Association and the Professional Agricultural Contractors’ Association.

Last year, Customs officials seized 327,000 litres of laundered fuel.

Responding to queries from deputies Thomas Broughan and Derek Keating, Minister Noonan said in the Dáil recently that in addition to that fuel, officials had also seized 718,181 litres of illicit mineral oil, of which “the large majority [was seized] from retail outlets or in the course of delivery to such outlets”.