Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister and the group who compiled this report, which covers many of the health issues around smoking. I wish to quote from the foreword of the report in which the Minister states, "No-one, whether smoker or non-smoker, wants their children to smoke." Tobacco is well known as a major contribution towards ill-health and premature mortality. What shocked me in the report was the fact that the incidence of cancer related to smoking has overtaken the incidence of breast cancer. That popped off the page.

Notwithstanding the Tobacco Free Ireland report, smoking during pregnancy is not mentioned in this report. I have raised this issue with the Minister of State, Deputy Alex White, in the Dáil in the past couple of weeks, particularly around how we assist women to give up smoking, because of the effect on the unborn child. I made a suggestion that women should be given nicotine patches under the supervision of their GP to help them give up smoking. I have spoken to a number of GPs in England and Ireland on giving patches under medical supervision to pregnant women. I appreciate that the patches are free in England, but I think we should look at this because anything that can help a woman to give up smoking while pregnant is of great value. Will the Minister elaborate on that point?

I wish to raise the NRT, nicotine replacement therapy, for medical cardholders. Will the Minister clarify what types of nicotine replacement therapy are available? Is it patches, gum or just therapy as in counselling and so on?