Joe O'Reilly (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister on this ground-breaking legislation, which is the first of its kind in Europe. The measure has already been introduced in Australia and New Zealand. Two fundamental questions arise. Do we accept that cigarettes do harm? If we accept that, do we see a link between packaging and smoking? Does it make smoking more attractive? If the answer is yes it is absolutely necessary to support the legislation enthusiastically.

The evidence that cigarettes harm people is compelling in that 5,200 die each year as a result of diseases caused by smoking. One in two smokers die from smoking-related illnesses. Cigarette smoking costs the State €650 million a year. One point that does not get enough currency, which relates to a point made in Deputy Mathews’ very erudite contribution, is that cigarettes contribute significantly to poverty. I discovered this through working with, and visiting, people in estates. Those who smoke regularly spend such a disproportionate amount of their income on cigarettes that it contributes to their poverty.

A group of retailers in Cavan town approached me to say they would lose revenue through illicit trade in cigarettes which would grow because of the plain packaging. The shopkeepers’ concerns are understandable given that in Border constituencies, in particular, they suffer from fuel laundering, and cigarette smuggling. While I support the legislation, we must take cognisance of their concern. A total of €650 million a year would be saved if we could eliminate cigarette smoking and maybe we could deflect money to more supervision by customs and police officers on the streets.

It is wonderful that significant finds of illegal cigarettes were made in Drogheda the other day. We need to up the ante in this respect because shopkeepers deserve such support. As these shopkeepers have children, they would not suggest that the answer lies in making cigarette smoking or packaging attractive. While their point that illicit cigarette sales are affecting their livelihoods and businesses might not be politically correct, it merits being put on the record.

There is empirical evidence of a direct link between the use of attractive packaging and the increased prevalence of smoking. There is evidence from Australia and New Zealand that the use of plain packaging reduced considerably the rate of cigarette smoking. It is interesting that when the packaging is plain, people think cigarettes taste less well and are less attractive. There is even a suggestion that people think the plainly packaged cigarettes are not of the same quality as the cigarettes they bought previously. The link between packaging and the popularity of cigarettes has been well established. I will go through all of the figures the next time this Bill comes before the House.

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