Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is okay. I thank Dr. Sadlier for the presentation on the patient advocacy side of things. It is helpful for any policy on reorganisation and additional investment in infrastructure and especially for ensuring an appropriate primary care system that keeps people out of hospital.

Whether there is a budget or not, Ms O'Meara and Mr. Macey keep us updated throughout the year, which we welcome. Although Mr. Macey used the Ipsos MRBI statistics on smuggling tobacco, I am not taken by that particular argument. From the work I have done on it over the years, I feel that as the price goes up there is increased activity by smugglers. The witnesses mentioned increased activity in this area, but the transport committee is constantly putting pressure on the Government to get additional resources to deal with diesel laundering and so on. I like the idea of squeezing the profits of "Big Tobacco". There is a methodology for doing that, which Ms O'Meara has provided to us in the past, and this certainly reduces the profits and provides a greater contribution towards the cost to the health service. That is welcome. I would be concerned about anything that results in a price escalation, because I believe that will lead to a greater level of imports. Ms Hetherington's point about alcohol consumption is a given.