Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senators for a constructive discussion on the causes, prevention and treatment of cancer. I am grateful for the universal welcome Senators have given to the proposal by the Minister for Health and Children to ban smoking in licensed premises and other such venues. I will report back to the Minister on that positive contribution from Seanad Éireann. Many Senators spoke of their experiences with passive smoking, including Senator Feeney, and when I entered public life I also developed a serious chest problem due to exposure to smoke in public places. Such serious problems need to be addressed.

Senator Glynn spoke about the right to smoke but the right he was looking for and did not identify was the right to clean air. I hope Seanad Éireann has played its part today in trying to secure that right for our population. All the Senators who contributed to the debate felt there should be a total ban on smoking in public places, including Senator Hayes and Senator Feighan, who began on a very constructive note, setting the tone for the debate. Opposition speakers have expressed legitimate criticisms about the health service, including bed provision, circumstances in particular hospitals and the requirements of different regions. These matters have been echoed on all sides of the House.

It is interesting to see how constructive a debate can become when it focuses on a particular aspect of the health service, such as the provision of cancer services, rather than the more generalised discussions we have had about health provision in general. Seanad Éireann is at its very best when it focuses on what we can do as a country to tackle serious medical conditions such as cancer.