Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government considers this a well-intentioned Bill and it has carefully considered the proposals in it. We share Deputy Fleming's ambition to further improve the health of Irish people. We must legislate carefully so that the desired impact is achieved. We must also be cognisant of the power of regulation.

Deputy Fleming used the legislation for the prohibition of investment in cluster munitions as a template for his legislation, as did I for my Bill. While it serves as a good template, it should not be copied exactly. That could lead to unintended consequences which would not arise in divesting from cluster munitions. For example, the administrative burden from non-investment in cluster munitions involves about 19 companies. In the tobacco area, that is approximately 130 companies. The risk of an inadvertent or accidental investment in one of those tobacco companies is far higher, so the administrative burden of protecting oneself from that is much greater. We need to ensure such concerns are addressed on Committee Stage.

The intention of the Bill is sound and the Government supports it and looks forward to addressing any matters on Committee Stage.

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