Susan O'Keeffe (Labour)
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I would like to put on the record that the Tobacco Free Policy Review Group has a very large task before it, which is to try to establish whether a smoking ban should be extended to all public areas such as playgrounds, parks, sporting grounds in education and so on. I am aware that University College Dublin recently voted to have a smoke-free zone so obviously we will have to wait. In writing to the petitioner we might explain to her that this work will take some time. The review group will not suddenly announce something. It will have to take many issues into consideration but at the very least the Minister for Health and his Department are keen to pursue a healthy Ireland policy, which would include banning smoking in public places, but that work cannot be done overnight. That might be made clear to the petitioner.