James Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. The bottom like here is the performance of one's duty. One's suitability to perform those duties should be based on competence and not age. Everybody is living longer, thankfully - not everybody, obviously. As a group, humanity is living longer. People are healthy. We have already had statements at the Global Economic Forum, pointing out that we have this host of individuals aged between 65 and 80 who are healthy, wealthy and looking for something to do, as an opportunity for tourism in this country.

I fully support the concept that people should be adjudicated upon in terms of their ability to carry out their job on competence and not age. To complement the point, with the new under-sixes contract, GPs can work until 72 years of age if they wish. I do not suggest that people should be forced to work beyond 65 if that is not their desire, but they certainly should not be prevented from doing so when they have built up an expertise over many years that is very hard to replace. I welcome very much the amendments on plain packaging. It is something I know we all understand is critically important in preventing the next generation from taking up this killer habit, which kills 6,000 people every year in this country. That is a statistic that falls off the lips, but that is 6,000 partners, parents and families who are rent asunder because they have lost a loved one and an income. It is horrendous, not to mention the tens of thousands who suffer because of chest diseases, heart attacks, strokes, peripheral vascular disease and all the other cancers that this heinous killer product causes.

I commend the Minister of State on passing this really important legislation. I look forward to the merry month of May, when our children will be safe from the subtleties and the evils of the tobacco industry, which seeks to addict them before the age of 18 and before they are in a position to make a decision as an adult as to whether they wish to smoke. I commend the Minister of State.