Mr. John McCormack:

I support Senator Crown in his comments on the actions that could be considered at European level and the options in respect of Ireland holding the Presidency next year. One of the countries with the greatest smuggling problem is Estonia, even though it has the cheapest cigarettes. The link between the high price of cigarettes and smuggling is a fallacy created by the tobacco industry. We have heard much about the resources needed. The budget submission from the Irish Heart Foundation and the Irish Cancer Society amounts to €150 million on the table. Some €150 million is on the table by taking more money from big tobacco because of the havoc it is causing to the health of Irish people.

Deputy Catherine Byrne referred to the Coombe hospital. The tobacco industry is expert at marketing to women. It has pink, soft cigarettes with soft packaging that is particularly aimed at women. The rate of lung cancer is increasing and more women in Ireland die from lung cancer than from breast cancer. Smoking rates are rising among women and falling among men. Much of this is due to the fact that the tobacco industry is expert at recruiting young women to smoke. It is crucial the tobacco industry is taxed out of existence so that it can commit less money to PR and marketing to young women.