Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome the witnesses. The important point for me is to establish evidence to show that, first, e-cigarettes are not a step away from smoking in the ordinary way and, second, that they are safe products which do not cause harm. It has been stated that no product is guaranteed to be harmless, but insofar as we can establish, we need to be able to find out whether we are moving in the right direction. We must do anything we can to encourage people to stop smoking cigarettes. Such an approach should and could be used. That is positive. It is a good thing. The evidence would appear to be in favour of e-cigarettes. Are we absolutely certain, insofar as we can, that e-cigarettes discourage people from smoking tobacco and that they cause less damage to health than cigarettes?