Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Smuggling is a heinous crime in itself and runs counter to what we are trying to do to achieve a smoke-free society. I have had consultations with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, and the Minister and the Garda have had some significant successes, especially in recent times with major hauls of smuggled tobacco used for illegal trading. The stronger we can clamp down on this, the better and this Bill gives us additional powers to do so. That is only fair to the licensed retail trader who pays taxes and rates. The Garda and the Customs and Excise have had some successes and continue to be vigilant, as this type of crime is related to other types of criminal activity.

Senator Quinn spoke about subsection (10) on sales promotion devices. This subsection tries to avoid a situation where a trader deliberately reduces the price to encourage increased sales. There have been significant sales promotions of alcohol which have affected alcohol consumption and alcohol related harm. We do not want the same thing to happen in the context of cigarette smoking.