Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Walsh's comments should be heeded. I wish to return briefly to the previous discussion on Senator Crown's amendment. It was not successful but he is quite right. I recall a situation when at one stage when one got off a train, no matter what mobile phone one had, one got a picture from Iarnród Éireann. One got off a train at Heuston Station and one's phone automatically ticked and there was a new text message. It does happen. That is an example of how it happens.

I am reassured by the Minister's commitment under the section that the issue would addressed. The legislation will always be a work in progress. We will have lots more legislation as various companies come up with new tricks. A sinister case I encountered approximately 12 months ago related to One4all An Post vouchers. They were being offered to staff in shops. If a regular customer came in and did not order his or her packet of cigarettes, they were reminded by the shop assistant. If that happened once a week in every shop in Ireland one is talking about tens of thousands of extra packets of cigarettes sold. The legislation is a work in progress. It is an ongoing war, one we must win. I am comforted by the fact that we have a Minister for Health who is totally dedicated to dealing with the problem. I share his concerns that in future we might have a Minister who is a smoker, who would inevitably be somewhat compromised in dealing with this ongoing war.