Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I fully support him in bringing forward the legislation and spearheading the issue of plain packaging, which is long overdue. Given that more than 50 years ago a Surgeon General of the US identified that smoking was a real health problem and a real health risk, it has taken us a long time to react. In fairness, many campaigns have been conducted over the years and all the organisations, Ms Kathleen O'Meara, Senator John Crown and people in the medical profession have consistently highlighted the risks, particularly in the past 25 to 30 years. This is a welcome step. Given that more than 700,000 people still smoke in Ireland, that is, 19.5% of the population over 12 years of age, it is still a major challenge to deal with the issue. Standardised packaging and highlighting the risks that people take on by smoking and continuing to smoke are important.

An issue we have not touched on is the actual cost to households. If a person smokes 20 cigarettes per day at a cost of €10 per day, that amounts to €3,650 per year, which is a lot of money that could do much for families within a household. We are having a major debate about paying for a service to our houses which will cost €250 to €260 per year and yet we are talking about ten times and 15 times that amount being paid by people to buy cigarettes which are damaging their health. This is a serious issue and one that needs to be highlighted. Given that 19.5% of the population over 12 years of age still smoke, let us hope that percentage can be reduced by 50% in the next five years and then reach the 5% target set by the Minister. In fairness, as other Senators have pointed out, for anyone who is still smoking it is very difficult to move away from it. It is a drug. Those who want to give up smoking should be given the support they require and every possible help to assist them in kicking the habit.

I thank the Minister for bringing forward the legislation and look forward to it being fully implemented. In the event of any legal challenge we are up for that fight. It is important that we have the best legal teams. It is not about taking on the tobacco companies but about protecting people's health. By employing a legal team to fight this issue, we are employing a legal team to protect people's health. That is what the issue is about.