Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Perhaps it is out of date. I am not trying to make excuses but there could be a myriad of different reasons why something happens. The information of the HSE is that when people are contacted, if they engage, there is a very sensitive approach taken where people are given time if they respond with their details of income and so on. That should be the position but if somebody has an experience where that is not the position I would like to know about it and we can solve it.

Senator van Turnhout made an interesting point about lobbying, which is perhaps worthy of discussion on another occasion.

I endorse everything that the Minister, Deputy Reilly, has said in respect of tobacco and I commend him on the leadership he has taken on the issue. The Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, and I support him in this matter.

There are other areas of public health policy, for example, the area of alcohol, where lobbying can be a factor. There is a good deal of controversy in the United Kingdom at the moment in this regard. Legislation on lobbying is being considered by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin. I sometimes wonder who will lobby for public health? The Ministers do so. Who will lobby for the health of the nation and of young people and children? We do and, as I look around the room, I see that people in the room do as well. We welcome and value the support of the members of the committee on the public health agenda.

It is important that people are entitled to lobby, whether it is the drinks industry or sporting bodies or anyone else. We live in a free country and people are entitled to make their views known. Sometimes lobbying for public health is a little harder because it is about the future and threats in the future and it is about people who are ill who perhaps do not have advocates. It is about people who will become ill in the future who we do not know about yet. Who will advocate for them if we do not?