Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am a reformed smoker who has been off the cigarettes since May 1994. I remember the date because it was a big choice for me to make. I was 24 years of age and smoked up to 40 Rothmans a day. Rothmans were a hard fag. I made the choice to give them up; in fact, the price of them made the decision for me, even though, at that time, they were a lot cheaper than they are today.

I have friends who smoke. Do they know the consequences of smoking? Yes, they do. All we heard for many years was that you will get cancer and other things from smoking. Everything was down to smoking. Maybe you will and maybe you will not. There are many people in this country who got cancer without ever having smoked, or even drank, in their lives. Branding smoking in that way is an issue for me. Telling people that smoking may cause cancer is right.

However, people know the consequences. The consequences are shown in the pictures on packets of cigarettes. The Government asked people to leave pubs and public areas if they wish to smoke and that was the right decision because it gave people who wanted to have a cigarette the choice to go outside or elsewhere to do so. There are people in this Chamber who walk outside every day to have a cigarette, where they do not interfere with the health of any person other than themselves. Will putting 50 cents on the price of a packet of cigarettes change their mind? It will not. All it does is put another burden on people who like to smoke a cigarette.

People may wish to smoke a cigarette to help calm down while they are dealing with an issue. Are they not much better off buying a cigarette to calm them down than buying all the illegal drugs that are available but which the Government is doing nothing about? It is not giving the proper enforcement powers to the Garda to help it catch the people who are selling illegal drugs. Would it not put the revenue raised by the 50 cents increase into Garda services? Would it not put the revenue into measures that would encourage people to give up smoking? The best time to help people to give up smoking is at an early age. A previous speaker said smoking was popular when he was younger. Perhaps it was. As I said, I am a reformed smoker. I made the choice to give them up but the price of them did not make a difference in that regard.

The Tánaiste is a doctor. He knows the medical implications of smoking. There are many things apart from smoking that have implications for one's health. It is sometimes the case that a comfort cigarette actually calms a person who is in a particular situation. Punishing them by adding 50 cents to a packet of cigarettes is not the way forward, so I am asking the Tánaiste not to go ahead with the increase. Reverse psychology. Encourage people to give up cigarettes and give them 50 cents by not increasing the price. It is about encouragement but this budget has nothing to do with encouragement.

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