A politically correct group from the Oireachtas Committee on Health on Capitol Hill during their trip to Washington and Florida to study anti-smoking laws earlier this year. From left, Batt O'Keeffe, chairman, Brendan Kenneally, Beverley Cooper-Flynn, Senate assistant Annemarie Murphy, Senator Richard Durbin, Cecilia Keaveney (hidden), John Gormley and Alan Shatter.
This week the entire committee published its draconian recommendations including a ban on smoking where two or more people gather, an end to tobacco advertising, sponsorship and patronage, increased taxes, legal action against tobacco firms and big money for anti-smoking campaigns. All very worthy stuff. What was noticeable, however, was that only the spokesman, Fine Gael's Alan Shatter was vocal on the recommendations and that the political parties had nothing at all to say. The power of the publican strikes again.
With the farmers, the publicans are among the strongest lobby groups in the country and they were immediately off the mark, arguing a pub without smoke isn't a pub at all. One said the committee was trying to Californate a national institution. So fierce is their opposition that most politicians are keeping their heads down in fear of their powerful constituents, who only recently overturned Government plans for both all night millennium drinking and extended opening hours.
There are no moves on a bill to implement the recommendations, but John Gormley of the Greens is gungho. The tobacco firms will be back before the committee shortly for more grilling and he believes that whatever about no-smoking pubs, no-smoking areas within them are a certainty. So who will tell the man with 12 pints on board he can't light up?