John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. As a smoker, come vapour-come smoker, and now I do a bit of both vaping and smoking, I support almost everything in the Bill. I applaud him for taking on big business. There are other big businesses, right across the divide, that Governments should challenge as well. I agree with Senator Mooney that even if one life is saved, the Minister will have achieved a lot.

I have one area of concern and that is the possible loss of jobs in the cigar manufacturing sector, particularly in the export of cigars to other European countries. When we import cigars manufactured in the likes of Germany, do they come into this country as plain packaged cigars? I am unclear about this. A cigar factory which employs 100 people is located in my town. If that company is unable to market its product in Europe then 100 jobs may be lost. Is there time to reconsider that specific area? Does the Bill afford those jobs any protection?