Smoking in cars where children are present will be outlawed from January 1 with offenders facing fixed fines of €100 and tougher penalties if caught breaking the new law by gardaí.

Among the old reliables in Michael Noonan’s budget, consumers of alcohol and motorists escaped unscathed, but cigarette smokers will have to cough up another 50 cent per packet.

May I add my voice to that of Maurice Murphy (Irish Examiner, Letters, June 25). He is correct to say that minimum pricing is everything to do with revenue. Just look at the Government’s attitude to health, in terms of the HSE.

While it is true we have some problem drinkers in this country, the vast majority of those who enjoy a drink in good company are perfectly responsible people in control of their alcoholic intake.

The Irish Water debacle staggers on and one can only feel the company has lost all credibility with their proposed customers. But our water supply is not one issue but two.

“There would be almost 200 fewer alcohol-related deaths every year with the introduction of a minimum alcohol price of €1 per unit,” according to the Sheffield University Alcohol Research Group.

I note that the ‘creeping prohibition’ of alcohol is to begin, much as it did with tobacco 10 years ago. Prices will rise, availability will be curtailed and advertising will be restricted. Doubtless that is only the beginning.

In his letter to this paper, John Mallon, of the tobacco-funded lobby group, Forest Éireann, has demonstrated one of the key tactics used by ‘big tobacco’ in fighting plain-packaging legislation.

Environment Minister Alan Kelly says “the Government has promised that a plebiscite would have to be held if both Houses of the Oireachtas wanted to privatise Irish Water”. 

Travellers to the hotspots of Europe will notice that all drinking water comes from plastic bottles. With our plentiful supply of the raw fresh product seeming to incessantly fall from our skies, an opportunity presents itself.

I wish to reply to a letter by John Mallon, of Mayfield (Irish Examiner, October 16).

News that the Jack Lynch Tunnel in Cork is to be privatised by the National Roads Authority is absolutely crazy.

My grandparents and parents lived in this country all of their lives, and their homes were supplied with fresh water, as I have been for the last 40 years.

A packet of cigarettes will cost €10 from today in a move welcomed by anti-tobacco campaigners.

Moves to ban "seductive" cigarette packaging and replace it with gruesome warnings mark a "bad day for big tobacco", Health Minister James Reilly has insisted.

The use of e-cigarettes is to be banned in all health facilities from the start of next month.

In your letters page, (Examiner 3/4/’14), Kathleen O’Meara of the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) rejects the latest figures on smuggled tobacco, but she would say that, wouldn’t she?

A life has been saved every day since the workplace smoking ban was introduced a decade ago, according to figures released to mark its anniversary.

Iarnród Eireann announced it is to ban electronic cigarettes in all its stations and trains because, they claim, they have had feedback from customers. Apparently these complainers object to inhaling somebody else’s vapour.

The purpose of the water tax, we are told, is to conserve this precious resource.

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso incorrectly claims the euro currency was a “victim” of the problems caused by Ireland.

The Government is prepared to fight the powerful tobacco industry head-on in the courts because it is determined to protect children from the scourge of cigarette smoking, Health Minister James Reilly said yesterday.

In the run-up to the Budget, with the internal deals done between the politicians, one piece of irony remains.

Over several days now in the wake of the Anglo Tapes, I have heard many politicians saying to the media, “What the people want is...”, as they prattle on instead to tell us what it is that they actually want.

A group representing the rights of smokers said today that putting graphic images on cigarette packets will not put people off smoking.

Campaigners against new legislation to ban smoking in cars with children have todaydescribed the move as "utterly unnecessary".

The Government should cut the price of a packet of cigarettes by €1 in next month’s budget, say campaigners.

A bailout is defined as an act of ‘giving’ financial assistance to a failing business or economy to save it from collapse.

May I add our voice to the growing opposition to the HSE ban on smoking in hospital grounds (Irish Examiner, May 23).

I wish to take issue with your editorial entitled “Time to change tack in battle on smoking”, (Apr 21).

The Irish Cancer Society is welcoming proposals by the Health Minister Dr James Reilly to introduce a ban on smoking in parks and on beaches.

In voicing his opposition to the proposal to ban smoking in cars, John Mallon (Irish Examiner, Apr 12) states that “... a responsible parent will not smoke with young children present anyway, whether it is in their car or their home”.

Nanny state says John Mallon

Matt Cooper, (Opinion, Mar 23) patiently explains to us all that, “The gap between what the State is spending annually and taking in tax revenue is not far short of €20bn”.

The Irish Heart Foundation has said that the Government has missed an opportunity with its 25 cent increase on tobacco in today's Budget.

Irish human rights activists detained by Israeli authorities as they tried to break the naval blockade on Gaza will arrive home over the next two days.

GERMANY’S European Commissioner, (Günther Oettinger), has lent his voice to demands that the national flags of all bailed-out member states be flown at half-mast at EU buildings as a sign of the shame.

BEFORE an Oireachtas committee recently, Phil Hogan informed us that, “whereas the population of the State was 4.58 million, there were 7.2 million PPS numbers, a difference of 2.62 million”.

THE news that Cork City Council has agreed to sell its refuse collection to Country Clean, highlights the failings of the public service when compared to private enterprise.

THE EU/IMF axis has put together an emergency fund of €700bn to lend to Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain, collectively know as “the PIGS”.

THE biggest victims of the NCT shake-up will be the ordinary motorist.

WITH the barrage of cuts, taxes and levies that people are experiencing, the real issue that is created is being overlooked. When one of these Revenue collecting/saving schemes is imposed, it is reported as a percentage of earnings.