Since 2009, 26 fuel laundering plants were detected in the counties of Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, Meath and Donegal, according to the Revenue Commissioners, while only one prosecution has been secured in this time. This information was revealed in a debate in the Oireachtas last week.
Monaghan TD Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Finance the number of instances of fuel laundering detected in counties Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, Meath and Donegal for each of the past five years, the number of these cases that were brought to court and the number of convictions arising from these cases.
In reply, the minister outlined that one person found at the oil laundry detected in Donegal in 2011 was prosecuted at Letterkenny Circuit Court on the 29 January 2013 and received a two-year custodial sentence.
A second oil laundry prosecution brought before Monaghan District Court on the 20 May 2013 was dismissed on a legal technicality.
There are 10 oil laundry cases where the Director of Public Prosecutions has directed trial on indictment and which are currently before Monaghan, Dundalk and Trim Circuit Courts.
The DPP decided against a prosecution in relation to another case. Prosecution files have been prepared and currently under consideration in respect of two further cases while prosecution files are being prepared in respect of another 10 cases. The remaining case forms part of an ongoing garda investigation.
Table: The number of fuel laundries detected in the relevant counties for each of the past five years. Source the Revenue Commissioners
| Year | Cavan | Donegal | Louth | Meath | Monaghan | Total |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2011 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 9 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 11 |
| 2013 (to date) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 13 | 26 |
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