Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

Rural isolation is one of the highest priorities in rural areas. I commend the Government on rolling out the rural bus network over recent years, but now it will undo all that work and leave in the lurch the people who have been using this service, which is unacceptable.

I support the call of my colleague, Senator Healy Eames, for a debate on mortgages. Many home owners are under severe pressure and all that is relieving them at present are the low interest rates. I ask the Leader to call the Minister for Finance to the House to discuss the area of home mortgages and how we can assist home owners. The moratorium only applies to a certain small number of banks. There are many other banks which are putting considerable pressure on family homes and we need to respond constructively and find mechanisms to address this problem in society. We, as politicians, must do that. It is an obligation on us.

I commend the Government, which may surprise the Leader, on the commencement of the further provisions of the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts. On 1 July there will be no advertising of tobacco products in retail premises, and I welcome that. One of the best acts of the Government over recent years was to ban smoking in public establishments in 2004. More than 7,000 people die in this country every year from tobacco related illnesses. It is a stark statistic which should never be forgotten by any member of any Government. More can be done through our educational establishments and schools to help educate our young people to avoid cigarettes at all costs because the major health implications of smoking will continue for many years and will only manifest themselves later in life. I ask the Leader to commend the Government on the provisions of the ban on the advertising of tobacco and perhaps some day in the next term he could provide for a debate on tobacco and its implications for the country.