David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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There is a significant amount of wisdom in what the RCPI is saying. I put a lot of faith in what the Irish Cancer Society and Irish Heart Foundation say as well. Obviously, we had to take big steps, which my party and I supported, in respect of cigarettes through the years, such as the ban on indoor use, the restriction on advertising and the requirement for plain packaging. All of those measures were resisted. People from the industry sat where Mr. Dunne and Mr. O'Boyle are sitting now and made exactly the same arguments, but we made those decisions and they worked. I certainly lean more heavily towards people who are obviously advocating for public health when it comes to informing my approach on this issue, notwithstanding the genuine arguments that have been made by Mr. Dunne and Mr. O'Boyle. What they are saying is in good faith, but they have to accept that, from my perspective, public health has to come first.