Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. It is the populist thing to say that nobody should smoke. I agree with that insofar as it would be better if young people never tried it. That would be way better for themselves and for the health of the nation. However, there is such a thing as becoming a nanny state and trying to direct people's lives. There is a great difference between trying to assist people and trying to get up on their back altogether. When the Government says it wants Ireland to be completely smoke-free by 2025 or something like that, I do not agree with it because there is such a thing as freedom of choice. It is not that long since there was a referendum in this country where all the talk was about "my body, my choice" and people will do what they wish. That was the way it was, there was a vote on it and we had to respect that. However, the Government is now telling people it does not want them to smoke and it will try its best to price smoking out of existence.

Every time there has been a proposal for an increase in the price of tobacco products, I have voted against it, simply because I do not believe I have the right to tax somebody else's habit. You can call it an addiction but there are people who know exactly what they are doing. Yes, they are addicted, but they also enjoy it. It is like a person having a drink. There is nothing in the world wrong with people having a drink provided they try to do it in moderation. Of course, it would be better if nobody smoked at all, but who are we to tell people what they should do? I know many people, including friends of mine and people I represent, who smoke. I do not think we have a right to put an extra 50 cent cost on them tonight and tell them the reason they are being hurt in the pocket is that it is for their own good.

We all know what is happening with tobacco products. You need only walk five minutes beyond the front of this building before you are able to buy all the illegally sold cigarettes you would like. The Government will take no tax on these. There are shadowy types of people selling those cigarettes and using the funds for other illegal activities. What are we doing only driving ordinary, honest people to go to those sellers when they see the Government putting ever-rising taxes on their habit? I just do not agree with it, and I think we are going down the wrong road completely.

Of course I appreciate the campaigns by the Minister for Health and previous Ministers on how to break a smoking addiction and the public health awareness campaigns to try to stop people smoking. That is a different thing. Going after the money is a crude instrument. There are housewives, men going to work and people in hospitals who desperately want their cigarette. It is their thing. After their dinner, they want a cigarette with their cup of tea. Life is very short. It is not right for us to be playing with people's lives to the degree of saying, "Right, cigarettes are bad, so we are going to put them up by 50 cent again tonight." The cost of living has gone up enough with all the other bills we have been talking about today. The increase in the price of fuel is going to have a knock-on effect on the cost of every item that is transported on our roads. The cost of electricity, home heating oil and everything else has gone up significantly and now we are hitting smokers with another 50 cent on their habit. I do not agree with it and I do not support it. I listened very carefully to what Deputy Carthy said about having an increase of 30 cent instead. I would rather see a rise of 30 cent than 50 cent, but what I would really like to see is the price being left alone.

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