Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will not be opposing this particular Financial Resolution. Any measure that discourages people from taking up smoking or that encourages them to give it up is welcome, but I do not think it can be taken in isolation nor can we continually raise the price without ensuring we have proper support services for people who are addicted to nicotine. At the outset, we must understand that this is an addictive substance. Most smokers would rather not smoke and would prefer it if they could give up. We need an integrated plan across our health services and community settings and among our GPs to facilitate people who want to give up. While we increase the price of tobacco and cigarettes, we need a robust assistance scheme to allow people to give up cigarettes with replacement therapy and other therapies that assist people with this addiction. It is primarily an addictive substance.

When we look at what happens with the illicit trade, we need to accept that we have a huge problem with the smuggling of tobacco. The more we increase the price through Financial Resolutions in this House, the more we incentivise smuggling and make it more profitable for those involved in the illicit trade. There is a huge cost to the State in terms of lost revenue, but more important, when we look at this from a health perspective, we are not encouraging people by making legal cigarettes dearer and the criminal element comes in with illicit tobacco products.

Hand in hand, we need a robust system to deal with this illicit trade. Retail Ireland has reckoned that it could cost the State up to €1 billion in lost revenue. That is a huge sum of money. We do not have a robust system in place through Customs and Excise, An Garda Síochána and other agencies charged with the responsibility of tackling this scourge in society. Day in day out on the streets we can see the illicit trade operating in the open. We support the measure, and anything that discourages smoking is welcome, but we must have a robust system for tackling the illicit trade and a humane system to encourage and allow people give up cigarettes through various therapies and supports provided by the HSE.

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