Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Okay. Is the proposal in respect of No. P00023/16 agreed? Agreed.

The next petition for consideration is No. P00025/16 in the name of Mr. Robert Carty, entitled "Creating a Tobacco Free Generation". The petitioner would like to see a tobacco-free Ireland and would like the Government to discuss introducing legislation similar to a Private Members' Bill that has been introduced in Tasmania, which proposes to prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone born after 1 January 2000. Following consideration by the Tasmanian Legislative Council, it has been determined the Bill could lead to limitations on the fundamental rights of citizens. The Department of Health has an action plan for a tobacco-free Ireland and is continually making progress in this area. The Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy Corcoran Kennedy, have expressed their gratitude to the petitioner for submitting a petition on this issue. It is proposed to forward a copy of the response that has been received from the Department of Health to the petitioner and to close the petition. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The next petition for consideration is No. P00005/17 in the name of Ms Christine Cullen, entitled "Make Co-operation with Trump Administration Conditional on Human Rights". The petitioner proposes that the Government should make the same statement as the Chancellor of Germany on co-operation with the Administration of the United States of America. This petition is calling for a statement to be made by the Government. While this request is not a matter of public concern in relation to legislative powers, it could be deemed to be a matter of public policy under Standing Order 111B. For the purposes of clarification and to ensure the petitioner gets a fair hearing, it is intended to refer the petition to the Department of the Taoiseach for response. I remind the committee that Standing Order 111B(1) provides that "a petition may be addressed to the Houses of the Oireachtas on a matter of general public concern or interest in relation to their legislative powers or an issue of public policy". Arguably, the question of whether this petition is a matter of public policy remains open. In order to allow the petitioner a fair hearing, it is recommended that we refer the matter to the Department of the Taoiseach.