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

Many years ago I worked with two men. One of them did not smoke and one of them did. The fellow who did not used to always be jarring the other fellow. He said that if God intended him to be a smoking man he would have put a chimney in him. I do not smoke, and I know it is bad for people, but I do not agree with this tax. As has been said about people who are addicted, God how they appreciate their cigarette. They rush outside the door and that is what they look forward to. We are penalising those people. The Minister said we have it down to 14% but that may not allow for illegal cigarettes because there is a lot of them coming into the country. It is unfair to penalise people with this tax. They may leave the table short, or their child short for something. The money the Government is already getting from tax should be more visible in education and in our schools, and more time given to advising young people not to smoke.

I understand the people who are smoking. Many of them started before government warnings about smoking and the way it can damage your health. Tonight I feel for people who have started and who are addicted. It will make it tough on their pocket. Many of these people are social welfare recipients. The extra €12 the Government gave today is welcome. However, much of that will be eroded with the extra 75 cent being charged for cigarettes. Again, I say that the Minister is encouraging the illicit sale of cigarettes. He may be dragging young people to do some other thing. Youngsters being youngsters will try something, and maybe even drugs that will be much worse and do more harm to our society and young population. I worry for parents today and into the future rearing children with all of the problems they face.

I appeal to the Minister to look at this again. It is now almost €1 per cigarette. People who are smoking, particularly the older people, will continue to smoke and something else will suffer because they will not have money in their pocket. I will be opposing this.

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