Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

Like other Senators I welcome the Minister of State. The arguments for and against the smoking ban are well and truly over. They should be forgotten and there should be no more arguments about it. We must get on with this measure now that the ban is in place. I congratulate the junior Minister, the Department and, as other speakers said, the Government on implementing this initiative because it was not easy. We are all aware of the huge lobby against the ban and that on the medical side in favour of it. The Minister was brave. It would have been easy for him to compromise or try to meet people halfway, but he did not do that. People are saying that we are leading the way when we should be saying we have led the way. We are an example to other countries.

One only had to watch television on Monday to note all the countries interested in this initiative not alone from Europe but from elsewhere across the world. Those involved in producing two Chinese television and radio programmes were over here. Everybody wanted to be in on this. Other countries are monitoring this initiative in Ireland to see how it will work. We are all behind the Minister and there is very high regard and respect for him. No matter what else he does in his term as Minister for Health and Children, in years to come he will always be remembered for what he has done in bringing in the smoking ban.

Dr. Jim Egan, a consultant respiratory physician in the Mater, described Monday as an international milestone. He was correct in saying that. All the radio programmes for the past few days have had chat lines and members of the public ringing in to talk about this measure. I was particularly taken when I heard what a young man of 51 years of age, who is a musician, a non-smoker and earns his living from playing in pubs at night, had to say. He plays in pubs five out of seven nights of the week. Two years ago he had open heart surgery and his life has been dreadfully affected by the effects of passive smoking. He was giving out on "Questions and Answers" on Monday night to those members of the audience and a person on the panel who were against the ban. He said his life has been affected by passive smoking, through no wish of his own, because he had to make his livelihood from playing and singing in pubs, and he was the victim of passive smoking. It is too late for this man but the ban will help others. At the end of his speech, the Minister of State said this ban is for future generations to benefit from, which was echoed by a man speaking on "Today with Pat Kenny" yesterday morning. When I spoke in the House last May, I stated we should use the run-in time for the legislation to educate people on the good effects of giving up smoking and I am glad to see that was done by the Government. We ran a smoke-free campaign which has been very effective.

Like many people, I was at a rugby party at the weekend at which there were five smokers, three of whom had quit the week before the ban came into place because they wanted to be ready for it. One of them told me he was taking a prescribed drug called zyban, which costs €110 for a two month supply. I am not a chemist or a pharmacist, therefore I do not know the drug's components. However, the drug lessens the craving in the body. My 21 year old son is on his second day without cigarettes and is using patches. The patches cost €30, for which I paid because I want him to give up. However, there are other people who are not as brave as to use the patches and for whom perhaps something like zyban might be good. It is safe because it is only available on prescription from one's GP.

We should examine subsidising such aids for people on low incomes or students who desperately want to quit smoking. The Minister of State may say that people with health board cards who spend up to €80 in a pharmacy will get the remainder in rebate. However, perhaps we could subsidise this further for people who are having difficulty quitting smoking.

I have been out for the past two nights, although I do not often go out two nights on the run.