Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

As the Chairman stated, I am due to take Leaders' Questions after 12 noon. I welcome the organisations to this meeting, particularly the Tipperary Regional Youth Service and the girls from Cashel community college. I thank them for their work and their presentation. I was especially happy to see young people making that presentation and that they have been involved with the Irish Cancer Society in this project. As they mentioned, the future of the tobacco industry depends on its ability to get 50 additional smokers per day to replace those who have died or quit smoking.

The facts of smoking are shocking. One in every two smokers, some 100 this week alone, will die of a smoking-related illness. This amounts to approximately 5,200 each year. I welcome the fact that the prevalence of smoking has reduced to 21.7-22%. The target is 4% by 2020. That is achievable, with this legislation playing a major role. Much more needs to be done, but the type of work being done by the Tipperary Regional Youth Service and the girls from Cashel indicates that plain packaging will prove a major element in reducing smoking prevalence and ensuring that fewer people are affected by smoking-related illnesses.

This morning and last week, we addressed the question of packaging.