Hoteliers have called on the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, to clarify how they are to enforce a smoking ban in the workplace when the legislation comes into force next January.
The 850 members of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) are demanding the "full protection of the law" to enable them implement the ban.
IHF president, Mr Jim Murphy, said he believed Ireland should not be the first country to impose the clampdown.
"I believe we should timetable the introduction of the legislation in tandem with the rest of Europe.
"Any unilateral move by Ireland before the rest of Europe would disadvantage us as a tourist destination."
Mr Murphy continued: "It is of paramount importance that it will be an offence for the person who smokes in a prohibited area, as it is totally unreasonable to expect that enforcement should rest solely with the proprietor of the establishment.
"The industry needs full clarification on how an offender who is smoking in a prohibited area is to be handled.
"There is the potential for confrontation and we will need the full protection of the law to support the enforcement of the ban.
"The policing of this legislation is critical in light of the recent death of an employee in New York who was trying to enforce the new legislation there.
"Indeed the potential problems of enforcement begs the question, why not just tackle the source of the problem and have an outright ban on the sale of tobacco in the State.
"The tourism industry is already on its knees and any new legislation that will further affect a business that contributes over €2.5 billion to the exchequer needs careful consideration."