John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Following on from Senator Norris's comment about the very hypocritical admonition of alcohol companies to drink carefully, they mean "don't spill it". The truth is that alcohol companies have one ambition and that is to sell more alcohol. I have said here and in the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children that any attempt by the authorities to engage with the alcohol industry as some sort of partner in alcohol limitation is absurd.

I do take a drink from time to time but I am going to talk about my favourite vice for a few minutes. Again, it is the latest onslaught by the tobacco industry against the children of this country. Please remember that the entire business plan of the tobacco industry is summed up in four words - "addict children to carcinogens". When you lose 50 of your customers every day from smoking-related illnesses, you must replace them. The overwhelming majority of smokers start as children. The majority of smokers wish to stop and the majority of those who wish to stop fail to stop. Our best strategy is to stop people starting in the first place and we need to be eternally vigilant in our attempts to do this, so I was appalled to discover that there is a new and discretely available product that is often labelled "good things come in small packages". These are starter cigarette packs - small little pouches that contain tobacco and cigarette paper - that are sold in small amounts at a price that is substantially below that which applies to the smallest pack of cigarettes that are currently available. These products are placed within the price range where children on pocket money or small change can afford to purchase them.

The tobacco industry is extraordinarily well-resourced. In case people do not know, it is the second largest lobbying industry in the EU after the agricultural sector. Members will know I attempted to bring in an anti-tobacco lobbying Bill here when it was disclosed that the Taoiseach and two senior Ministers had breached the international guidelines of the WHO in their dealings with the tobacco industry. Prior to that debate, we found in the well of this Chamber the business card of a public relations candidate who works with the tobacco industry. Given this, it is apparent this is an issue we need take relentlessly seriously. I propose to the Leader that we have a debate on this House not just on tobacco policy but specifically on the issues of marketing and how we can strengthen the regulatory process in terms of limiting the eternally clever ways the industry has of getting around the tobacco regulations in this country.

I also propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 59 be taken before No. 1. As I have stated previously, the reason for this is because I have three outstanding Bills. They are outstanding in the sense that they have not gone anywhere. While I do not suggest they are outstanding legislative measure, hopefully, history will deem that they are. However, I am not that ambitious. These Bills have passed Second Stage and in the time-honoured tradition of Pyrrhic victories in this House, I am supposed to be happy as an Opposition backbench Independent Senator that they have got this far and am then expected to let them die with the Oireachtas. I do not want them to die. I want them to be either passed or defeated. That is why I was elected to this House - to introduce legislation - and that is why I am asking for an amendment to the Order of Business, to take No. 59 before No. 1.