Terry Brennan (Fine Gael)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit ar ais go dtí an tSeanaid. I commend, as all previous speakers have done, Senators Crown, van Turnhout and Daly on their great, short Bill that will greatly benefit the country.

The threat that passive smoking poses to health has been eloquently stated by my colleague, Senator Crown, and the danger to children's health as they sit in smoke-filled cars has been highlighted and I will not reiterate it.

I was reared in a smoke-filled house because my parents chain smoked. Senator Crown mentioned the possible risk of meningitis. My mother died when she was 29 years old and she was a chain smoker but my father lived until he was 92 years. My younger brother was two and a half years old when he died of meningitis and perhaps a smoking environment contributed to his death.

Previous speakers said they smoked at some stage of their lives but for some reason I never tried to smoke. I have other habits, but I do not intend to tell the House what they are. At times, they can be-----