Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

There is an alternative to review in the event that the Minister of State does not accept any of the amendments, particularly amendment No. 1. I ask her for the third time, with a view to suggesting an alternative, whether she will withdraw sections 3 and 5 and allow the existing legislation to stand. There are clearly specified periods of delisting pertaining to offences committed by those licensed to sell tobacco products, namely, three months and 12 months. These amendments are a reaction to that of the Government, which seeks to dilute the existing clear statutory penalties that currently apply to those in the retail sector who breach the existing legislation.

If the Minister of State does not intend to accept any of these amendments, I appeal to her once again not to dilute the existing legislation in response to what must clearly have been considerable lobbying over some time. It was interesting to hear none of the Opposition voices experienced any such lobbying. It was hardly necessary granted that the Government already had this interest impressed upon it, as the legislation before us clearly indicates. The position the Government adopted in the 2002 Act was correct and should be let stand and the Minister of State should stand up to the pressure she has clearly been under.

See this speech in context