Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Many of the questions I intended to ask have been asked and I will not reiterate them. I congratulate the Garda on its success in the seizure under Operation Bonanza where 10 million cigarettes and cash were captured. Are there black spots in the country where such activity is more prevalent? I also have been contacted by a number of retailers who are concerned that the plain packaging will make counterfeiting easier, as outlined by my colleague Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor. In fairness, the people I met understand the damage cigarettes can cause. I got the impression from them that such activity was worse in some parts of the country than in others. Has the Assistant Commissioner information on that and what is being done to tackle those black spots to ensure that such counterfeiting can be curtailed? It is also a question for Revenue officials in terms of what it is doing to tackle this activity outside the greater urban areas. What level of resources are deployed to areas around ports and cities in close proximity to ports such as Waterford and Wexford to ensure they can capture any elicit trade that is taking place?
In terms of the HSE's programmes, I would agree with Mr. Maguire's point about standardised packaging because it is more difficult for slims and such products, by virtue of the nature of their packaging, to carry the health messages in bold print. That is a valid point and something we should take on board.
Following on from Deputy Mitchell O'Connor's point, why is smoking still so prevalent? It is particularly prevalent among young girls and is often prevalent among lower socio-economic groups in communities. What more can we do to tackle this problem? What types resources will the HSE allocate, particularly in light of what Senator Crown said, namely, that we know that the tobacco industry's modus operandiis to try to engage young children to take up smoking? What is the HSE doing to address that? I know of the cessation programmes and smoke-free campuses but that relates to adults. What is being done preventatively to ensure that young people do not taking up smoking?