Tom Morrissey (Progressive Democrats)

I thank the Fianna Fáil group for tabling this worthy motion tonight. I thank the Ministers of State, Deputies Tim O'Malley and Brian Lenihan, for being here to listen to the debate.

I congratulate the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, on his tremendous success in introducing the workplace ban on smoking. We have all known for a long time about the health effects and the costs associated with smoking and, regrettably, the large number of deaths attributed to smoking. The workplace ban on smoking will be applauded by all in time. When we look back, we will wonder why it took so long to introduce it.

I have not been a smoker since the age of nine, but I am alarmed at the number of young people, particularly young girls, who are smoking today. The Government should tackle this issue. The Minister's task was not easy, but his firm stance against all quarters, lobby groups and particularly the fifth column from within his own party is an abiding memory. The savings to the economy in terms of spending on health will be enormous in years to come. Workers will now experience a clean working environment. Those who have been subjected to passive smoking are the real winners.

Too much of the debate on the smoking ban has focused on the issue of smoking in pubs. The real issue occupying Deputy Martin's attention was his determination to provide a clean air working environment. I hope social pressure rather than recourse to the law will be the enforcer of this ban. Ireland has been to the forefront in introducing the ban and I am sure Europe will follow its lead.

There are few notable political dates in Irish political history on which Ministers have taken a course which other Ministers failed to take. The few that come to mind are the introduction of free education in 1968 by Donogh O'Malley, the banning of corporal punishment by the late John Boland in 1981, the introduction of a smog free Dublin by Deputy Harney in 1990 and the introduction of the plastic bags levy by the then Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, in 2002. The introduction of the smoking ban on 29 March 2003 will go down in history as a great day for Ireland. I thank the Minister and the Fianna Fáil Party for putting down this motion tonight.