Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Tobacco is a drug. The people who get into the illicit drug trade are in the illicit tobacco trade. Cigarettes do not come in with the clouds and rain on the people; they are brought here in shipping containers. Shipowners and shipping agents are the people who should be forced, through really punitive fines and penalties, of €500,000 or €1 million, to police what is shipped in their containers. If spot checks are carried out, the shipping line would get fined heavily. The manufacturers and distributors of cigarettes should be paying social contribution taxes.

As previous speakers have said, there is no doubt that it is difficult to give up cigarettes but it is not impossible. I would like to give encouragement by way of an anecdote. Although I am not iron willed or steel disciplined, I gave up cigarettes on 19 August 1980. One must just decide to do so, and one can do so. My colleagues should not feel despair that they cannot give up cigarettes. Of course, they can. I did it and I am not iron willed.

See this speech in context