Terry Brennan (Fine Gael)

The Bill will make adults more aware of the dangers of smoking in confined places such as cars, jeeps and similar vehicles. There are environmental issues to be considered also. As a Tidy Towns activist, nothing annoys me more than seeing our streets littered with cigarette butts. The problem is not confined to areas outside licensed premises. The last thing many people do before entering a shop - be it a butcher's shop or a supermarket, for example - is drop a cigarette on the ground, stamp on it and abandon it. I commend and support this draft Bill and encourage the Minister to take it to the next legislative stage as quickly as possible. Previous speakers have mentioned that, as legislators, we are obliged to protect the health of the children of the country who often do not have a voice of their own or a voice to speak for them. I commend my colleagues, Senators John Crown, Jillian van Turnhout and Mark Daly, for introducing this legislation which I encourage the Minister to bring to the next stage.