Illegal laundering of the fuel is costing us in lives, lost revenue and pollution, according to the Green Party.

Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan today called on the Government to end the system of marking diesel for particular end users. He said: "It is time we end the use of Green diesel in the South and Red diesel in the North and introduce new ways of supporting the farming community in their energy use. Now more than ever we see the cost that comes from the laundering of diesel. We are losing some €100 million a year in tax revenue, our waters and lands are being polluted and more than anything else it is costing us precious lives. It is time to undermine the criminal gangs that the current system supports.

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"Even if it is not possible to get cross border co-ordination on the switch over, we should act now in the South, as a really practical way of helping the Garda Síochána in their work."

(CD)