John Crown (Independent)
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I thank the Minister and his colleagues for coming. As he knows, I am a huge supporter of his efforts to ratchet up the pressure on the tobacco industry, but we are not going anywhere near far enough. That is not a criticism of the Minister. We both want to ensure a long-term plan to increase the pressure even more severely in the years to come.

Will the Minister clarify exactly what has happened in respect of the US Chamber of Commerce? There were rumours of threats from people who were not officially representing the tobacco industry but who appeared to be on the side of those whom we generally thought of as the good guys. What strategies are we taking to counter this? I urge that we take a very public strategy to counter it. I think the average American citizen who is very anti-smoking would like to know what the agencies acting, allegedly, in his or her name are doing.

I am very upset that our legislation on smoking in cars in which there are children is still stuck in bureaucracy nearly a year and a half after it was passed on Second Stage. That is unacceptable. It is not the Minister's fault specifically, but some of the folks who work in his organisations are not giving it priority.

The track record of the Government so far in terms of legislation to deal with smoking is providing for the passage of a Bill which will make it easier to sell cigarettes cheaply. I know that is not its intention and that the Minister is intent on bringing forward a raft of legislation to redress the imbalance. A great start would be made if we could address this issue. During Private Members' business in the Seanad in the week after next I will be introducing further anti-tobacco industry legislation, of which I hope the Minister will be supportive and which I will be delighted to discuss with him later.