James Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I thank Mr. Kelly for his presentation. One of the areas that has been of particular concern is public health policy. That is the tip of an iceberg that has been reflected in some of the commentary here already in terms of the concerns about this deal that unforeseen advantage may be given to outside multinational companies that could take advantage of the situation here to our detriment. To cut to the chase, I would be grateful if Mr. Kelly would outline the position, taking specifically public health policy on tobacco. From what he said already, it would appear to me that if something is banned in this country and across the European Union, or even not across the entire EU, our laws prevail and nothing within this agreement can undermine those laws. Mr. Kelly's colleague, Ms Benson, is nodding in assent but it would help everybody if Mr. Kelly could lay that out in terms of the tobacco industry in particular in which there are several actors. There is a market here already. They will now have to comply with new arrangements to do with plain packaging, to mention but one aspect that may come down the track in the future. He might highlight how he would see those provisions that we have put in our public health policy to protect public health from the deadly threat tobacco represents, with 6,000 Irish people dying every year from tobacco related illnesses and 700,000 people dying across Europe, not being undermined. That would reassure me, and I am fairly reassured already. While I accept all the arguments Mr. Kelly has made, it would also demonstrate clearly how this agreement cannot undermine our laws, our Constitution and any policy this Oireachtas would put into law, and that it is not discriminatory against one provider of a service.