The Minister of State, Mr Frank Fahey, has questioned whether the State has enough resources to enforce the planned smoking ban and conceded that he told people in the cigarette industry that there could be a compromise on the proposal.
Mr Fahey, who cut short a golfing holiday in Spain to deal with the controversy over his position, insisted yesterday that he fully supported the Government's proposal to ban smoking in workplaces from January next.
"I am very much in favour of a ban on smoking in the workplace. I am vehemently anti smoking. I fully support Government policy. I have always supported Government policy," he told RTÉ's News at One programme.
Mr Fahey denied a claim from Galway publicans that he gave a commitment to them on the issue. He said he did meet the people involved in selling cigarettes in pubs and indicated that he understood their position and that there could be room for compromise.
He rejected suggestions that he had deliberately made himself unavailable to explain his position over the past few days.
Since then he "felt it wasn't appropriate to comment. Several journalists were trying to drive a wedge between me and Micheál Martin on this, which doesn't exist. We are at one on this. I am quite prepared to implement the ban as the Government has decided."
Mr Fahey said there were "technical issues" to be considered concerning enforcement of the ban. He was awaiting recommendations on this from the Health and Safety Authority.
"Until I get the reports on these issues I can't comment any further. Asked whether there could be a compromise on enforcement he said he was examining this. "I want to ensure that we can enforce the ban effectively, otherwise we won't be able to implement it."
There was an issue concerning whether there were adequate resources to enforce the ban. The Health and Safety Authority has a relatively small number of health and safety officers, he said. "They need more resources to enforce the ban effectively." He said he did not want to elaborate further until the regulations are brought forward.
Mr Fahey also rejected suggestions that he had been told by the Taoiseach to come back and publicly clear up the confusion over his position. "I decided to come back myself", he said, after hearing of the controversy about his views on the issue. "When you have such pressure it's better to come home."
Yesterday a leading Galway publican and member of Fianna Fáil accused Mr Fahey of "double dealing" on the smoke ban issue.
Mr Christy Ruane, chair of the Galway city and county branch of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI), claimed that the Minister of State had given Galway publicans "an undertaking that he would support us and do his best to achieve a compromise".
However, the junior minister's party colleague in Galway West, Cllr Val Hanley,who resigned the chair of the Western Health Board this week over his opposition to the ban, took issue with Mr Ruane's views and said that Mr Fahey was in a "very difficult position".
Mr Ruane, a publican in Glentane, Castleblakeney in east Galway, said he was very disappointed in Mr Fahey's statement on Tuesday that he supported Government policy and would implement any ban decided by the Government.
"He's beginning to double deal, and that is not a nice way to conduct politics," Mr Ruane said. "He even voted against the ban at last week's parliamentary party meeting."
Galway city and county vintners are due to meet next Monday night to vote on a proposal to take the same course of action as counterparts in Kerry and refuse to implement the ban. The publicans are so incensed that they may also consider running candidates in next year's local elections.