Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brady. I welcome the Bill. I always smile when I see a short tranche of legislation. The shorter it is, the stronger. There is no doubt that when one hears a speech read out and everything one wishes to say has already been said by Senator Fitzgerald, then we are all singing from the one hymn sheet. Such Bills are always short, powerful tranches of legislation. I am pleased to speak to the Bill and I gather all Stages will be taken today. As the Minister of State has outlined, the Bill is primarily for the dissolution of the Office of Tobacco Control as part of the rationalisation of State agencies. The former Office of Tobacco Control will fall under the remit of the HSE.

This gives everyone here a chance to discuss the important work we must carry out to eliminate tobacco smoking in the country and to achieve a tobacco-free society. This is not easy to do when one considers we are a nation of 4.5 million people of which 1 million are smokers. It is a shame to see young people smoking. God knows when I was going to school it was a great thing if one had a few pence in one's pencil box and one bought a couple of loose cigarettes. The Leas-Chathaoirleach would not remember that time, he is far too young. One would even smoke a cigarette that was three or four days old and die for a day from the sickness as a result. Today it is so sophisticated with nice wrappers and attractive packaging but the hazards are so much worse than in my time. This is remarkably sad because we know the terrible, negative and killing effects on us of tobacco smoking. However, some in our young, well-educated society are still prepared to take risks with their lungs, heart and every other organ in their body that smoking affects.

Recently I was passing through the airport on my way to a funeral in Manchester. I was browsing through the duty free shops because everyone was snowed under in Manchester and the airlines were waiting to defrost engines and so on. As I walked around I was blown away at the size of the duty free advertising for cigarettes, which was massive. The perfumes, make-up, sweets, cheese and expensive nice foods that one may pick up in little hampers did not get a look in because of the big billboards - they were certainly billboards - advertising cigarettes. Needless to say, everyone there was looking at the prices. The smallest package available was a carton of 200 or 400 cigarettes. It struck we that we have introduced great legislation which hides all of this under the roller shutters in our local shops. However, this is not the case in airports where people are more inclined to buy in bulk in the belief one is getting a bargain. The advertising is there in one's face making it a good deal more attractive. It would be preferable were it kept behind a shutter although I realise there is a legitimate reason why this is the case. It has to be this way but I wish we could begin to chip away at it and perhaps change it.

We were the people who brought in the smoking ban. I recall when it was introduced in 2003 or 2004 and cameras from throughout the world came to Dublin to find out what it was like. In particular, the Chinese and Japanese came here and they could not get over how we were going to try to stop people smoking in public places. If we began at one airport, perhaps Cork or Shannon, and then followed through to our main airport in Dublin, perhaps we could be world leaders in this regard as well.

From a budget of approximately €18 billion, some €2 billion is spent each year from the health budget in this area. I am certain this must bring pain to the heart of the Minister of State, Deputy Áine Brady, because there are so many other stronger needs for the small resources at the disposal of the Minister for State. I realise if the Department of Health and Children, the Minister and the Ministers of State had their way, there would be a doubling of the €18 billion to look after everyone. It must kill the Minister of State to see €2 billion going on tobacco-related illnesses.

We cannot take this issue off our agenda and this legislation affords us a chance to get the message across. The last day I spoke on this matter I asked about the pictures on the back of cigarette cartons. I note this will be introduced and I will be pleased when it takes place because perhaps it will shake up some of the young people when they see the evidence in dark, graphic photographs.

I agree with Senator Fitzgerald regarding the damage second-hand smoke can do. I note reports in the newspapers last week of a case highlighting the terrible damage done to a young child, a six year old, who had been exposed to second hand smoke from the time he was born. He had lived in a small, confined apartment.

I refer to the issue of cigarette smuggling. I realise the cancer control people were somewhat annoyed that the budget did not include an increase in the price of cigarettes. Sometimes the adage, "You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't" applies. When we put up the price of cigarettes we encourage the black market and smugglers. I know of people who go to Spain on a cheap flight and bring back any amount of cigarettes for their own consumption, although not to sell. However, the black market will always invite smugglers. As we have heard, these are not young people. They are people openly making a living by dropping leaflets in doorways to advertise the sale of cigarettes and cheap alcohol. I call on the Minister of State to keep an eye on this issue.

We should do whatever we can and I believe people will work together to try to bring about a tobacco-free society. We will be a better off race of people when we do so. I look forward to the remainder of the Bill passing through the Houses. It seems there are always young people in the Gallery when anything such as this is going through. It cannot be emphasised loudly enough that if one is not a smoker one should not start. Those who smoke maintain it is the hardest thing to give up.