Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)

There were also other smokers. Going to other countries, one arrives at the airport and sees people smoking, which is shocking when one is used to the smoking ban here. I do not think it has modified the behaviour of one of my constituency colleagues but at least this takes place outside.

Some 79% of smokers want to quit, which suggests the shock campaigns will be effective. I would like to see the campaigns extended to television. This would work very well in respect of health promotion. The impact of the staining of people's skin will have an impact on those who are smoking because they think it will change their weight. It costs the State an estimated €1 billion every year to provide services for smokers. Putting €1 billion towards job creation would make a phenomenal difference. We must consider what we can spend that money on as well as extending the life of people who will not smoke. We will not tackle cancer if we do not tackle smoking. On Newstalk this morning, I heard that over half of the waste on the streets is cigarette butts. One cannot but notice it and it is unsightly and costs money to clean up. It may be a small thing but it is very unattractive. The former Minister of State, Mary Wallace, said in 2009 that if we do not make progress reducing the impact of tobacco in the next ten years, it is estimated that the cost to our health service will be in excess of €23 billion. This would pay for running the health services for two years. The argument is profound when one considers these figures.

I would like to see cigarette companies being obliged to put the telephone number of the National Smokers' Quitline on the packets. That amendment would be useful because people need assistance. Anyone who has given up smoking cigarettes will give themselves 150 reasons they should not give up. We need to give people a reason and the means to give up cigarettes.

The embargo on public service recruitment to the Garda Síochána and the Customs and Excise service is counter-productive in respect of cigarette smuggling. There are all sorts of concoctions of dangerous content beyond tobacco. We must make an all-out assault in dealing with that because not only are we losing revenue for the State, but the least well-off communities will be targeted for selling those cigarettes. Those black market activities are ongoing and we must tackle that problem. The campaign for increasing the cost of cigarettes was an important factor in discouraging people from starting to smoke and encouraging others to give up, but it is being seriously interfered with by virtue of the fact that we have a thriving black economy in the area of illegal cigarette selling. I would like that specific area to be targeted. If the customs service want the embargo to be lifted for those areas, there is an unanswerable case for doing that because there are returns in terms of money going back to the Exchequer but also health benefits.

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