Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I commend the Minister for having the courage to take on a Private Members' Bill promoted by Senator John Crown, supported by his personal assistant, Mr. Shane Conneely, and Senators van Turnhout and Daly, who is my party colleague. It is a crowning success for Professor Crown to have introduced this with colleagues, and he has demonstrated that this is something very important. The Minister may be interested to know that in the Gallery are some girl scouts with their leaders from County Roscommon. They will be the beneficiaries of today's Bill. History is being made today as nobody will be able to light a cigarette in a car when youths are present, as the youths become involuntary smokers at that stage. Such an act will be illegal when this Bill goes through the Dáil, and nobody will be able to impose a smoke-filled environment on young people as a result. Everybody should take credit for this, as it is a step forward.

It is ten years since Deputy Martin was courageous enough to introduce the ban on smoking in places of work, and it is now administered practically everywhere. I returned from Montenegro yesterday and although a similar ban is imposed virtually everywhere there, some people were smoking in public areas in the Parliament. I was surprised by that. In all the restaurants and bars, smoking is banned, despite people being very fond of the habit in that country. Deputy Martin did the State, and the wider world, a great service and is responsible for saving thousands of lives.

This Bill was brought through the Seanad, and the House has contributed greatly by bringing forward the Bill's concept. The Minister has made that process easier. I brought forward a Private Members' Bill dealing with registration of wills, and it is very important, but the Minister's Cabinet colleague, Deputy Burton, was not as courageous as the Minister for Health in allowing it to proceed. That Bill to register wills was approved by the previous Seanad. I would like the Minister, Deputy Burton, to adopt the Bill like the Minister for Health has done in this case. It would show courage and demonstrate that a Minister is prepared to listen to the Seanad.