The Government is coming under increasing pressure following comments by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, who has voiced opposition to the proposed ban on smoking in the workplace.
Speaking in the national media this morning, Mr Cullen said the ban, which includes banning smoking in pubs and restaurants, should be implemented in stages. It is intended come into effect from January 1st, 2004.
"You've got to bring people with you. My personal choice would be to move in the direction where you have a smoking room so people can begin to move it out of the pub area, out of the cafe area," said Mr Cullen on RTE Radio this morning.
"To blanket do [ban] it on January 1st is posing difficulties. Any fool can see that...what's going to happen at midnight on December 31st? Everyone is going to stub out their cigarettes and say that's it?," he asked.
Labour's health spokeswoman, Ms Liz McManus, said there were now serious doubts about the Government's plans. "This is one occasion on which the Taoiseach should assert his authority as Leader of the Government (if he has any left) and state quite clearly whether or not the proposed ban has his full support and if it will proceed as planned on January 1st," said Ms McManus.
Fine Gael's environment spokesman, Mr Bernard Allen TD, claimed it was "outrageous and hypocritical that the Minister, whose brief includes endingair pollution, is putting personal interest before the collective good by making comments that undermine the ban on smoking."
The Green Party's Mr Paul Gogarty called on the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste, Ms Harney "to show some leadership on this issue."
"By calling for some half baked implementation of the smoking ban, Martin Cullen and Noel Davern are detracting from the real issue which is that all workers have the right to work in an environment that does not damage their health."
The Irish Cancer Society, the Irish Heart Foundation and ASH Ireland, expressed concern regarding the political opposition to the ban, "being led most recently by Mr Cullen".
"This legislation is not about commercial or personal interests or so-calledpolitical correctness. It is about offering an incentive to those who wantto quit smoking, which causes 90 per cent of all lung cancers, a method of reducing the growing incidence of lung cancer, which accounts for 20 per cent of all cancer deaths and a protection to those who are exposed to a carcinogen in theworkplace," said Dr John Kennedy, Consultant Oncologist at St James's Hospitaland Chairman of the Irish Cancer Society Medical Committee.
The licensed trade spokeswoman for the MANDATE trade union, Ms Mandy Kane, said she was amazed at Mr Cullen's opposition to the proposed ban given the fact that his own Department, in its mission statement, has responsibility for promoting sustainable development and improving the quality of life in the country.
"The Minister...and some in the hospitality industry have suggested that separate spaces be reserved for smokers, with new high powered extraction systems ventilating these areas. Such a proposed compromise would still leave hospitality workers vulnerable to cancer-causing passive smoke and could also lead to job losses for staff in smaller pubs and restaurants," said Ms Kane.
A number of Fianna Fáil backbenchers are planning to propose a motion at a parliamentary party meeting next month seeking a compromise over the ban. Fianna Fáil Tipperary-South TD Mr Noel Davern said yesterday up to 50 members of the party wanted dedicated smoking rooms or improved ventilation in pubs rather than an all-out ban.
The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, however, has said there will be no "compromise on health" and he is to embark on a series of public information meetings in an attempt to shore up support for the ban.