Deirdre Clune (Fine Gael)

That is before tax, if one is earning money. That amounts to a contribution of approximately €4,000 or €5,000 depending on one's income. It is a substantial amount of money for a person who is addicted to smoking.

Mention has been made of young people, particularly young women. Anecdotal evidence suggests there is an increase in the number of young women smoking. Image and weight are cited as factors, as is the case with older women. They fear the consequences for their weight if they give up smoking.

Senator Crown outlined the long-term consequences of smoking such as lung cancer and other cancers. I attended a launch last year early on a Friday morning in the Dental Hospital in Cork which also took place in Dublin. A lip and throat cancer awareness week was launched. Free screening was offered to members of the public. The launch was relatively low key. I was very surprised to read subsequently that the organisers could not cope with the uptake of the free screening. Queues stretched out the door and around the building, similar to what we have seen at the Passport Office. People are conscious of health care now. Graphic images such as provided for by the legislation will go a long way to reducing the incidence of smoking in the population.