The Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, has denied a suggestion his decision to pull out of the launch today of a new disposal unit for cigarette butts outside pubs was to avoid possible negative publicity.
A spokesman for the Minister said Mr Cullen cancelled "due to diary pressures" and not because of potential controversy associated with the event.
The unit is designed to overcome an expected litter problem arising from the workplace smoking ban, to which the Minister has publicly expressed opposition. Made for fitting outside the front door of a pub, the unit gives smokers an alternative to throwing butts on the ground, itself an offence liable to a €125 fine.
Mr James Proctor of the Dublin-based inventors, Environet Ireland, said he was "absolutely disgusted" by the Minister's decision to pull out of the event, which was being attended by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Royston Brady.
"We are small company trying to do a bit for the environment. I would expect the Department to help us in that. Instead, they have actually been a hindrance, and I don't say that lightly."
Mr Proctor said the Minister's private secretary confirmed his attendance last week, only to call back yesterday to say he was pulling out.
"The official line I got was that the diary was chock-a-block. However, it is clear the smoking issue is a political hot potato at the moment. So maybe someone said to him 'leave the smoking thing alone for now'."
Denying the suggestion, the Minister's spokesman said Mr Cullen was "aware that the Lord Mayor was the main guest at the event and that other dignitaries were invited. Our decision was based on the knowledge that the Minister's cancellation would not mean the cancellation of the event."
Asked whether Mr Cullen had a problem endorsing the unit, the spokesman said "any anti-litter initiative would be something the Minister would like to see happen".
He added the decision not to attend was made before last Tuesday's Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting, at which backbench TDs expressed opposition to the ban, due to be enforced on January 1st.
Mr Cullen, a self-confessed 40-a-day smoker, broke Cabinet ranks recently by calling for the ban to be watered down.
