Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

This section prohibits certain marketing practices in respect of the number of cigarettes that can be sold, namely, not less than 20, as outlined in subsection (1). Will the Minister comment on the section? As he is aware, large numbers of illegal cigarette sales take place in this country on a daily basis. Some of this behaviour is funded directly by paramilitary organisations. Will Members on this side of the House applaud the Minister's efforts to bring about much greater certainty in this area in terms of retail outlets etc? What discussions has he had with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in respect of illegal sales? One need only visit Mary Street, Grafton Street and Henry Street to witness the number of illegal sales of cigarettes to people of all descriptions. A significant percentage of tobacco sales, particularly in working class communities, comes from illegal trading and this must be countered. While the Minister is doing everything he can in this Bill to bring about order in the retail sector and to give a clear signal to the public about where we stand on this issue, significant numbers of cigarette sales are illegal. We must be aware of and try to counter this.