People will always find a way, says cigar buff
"I've always smoked Cuban cigars but I've never really smoked cigarettes. They don't do anything for me. I'd smoke about two Cuban cigars a day.
"It's probably from a selfish point of view but I think there should have been an exemption for cigars.
"Generally speaking, a cigar is a social smoke and you don't inhale it.
"I respect the Health Minister's point of view and the ideas behind it because I think smoking is a big problem. But at the same time, you have to be democratic, you can't turn the thing into a police state, telling people what to do forever.
"For 20 years, cigars were a huge part of my restaurant business. Cigar smoking around the world is huge, bigger than it ever was. The sale of quality cigars has never been higher.
"Unless it's a hotel or restaurant situation, people who smoke cigars in bars generally smoke the lesser product, the non-Cuban or non-Dominican ones, little cigars like cheroots. If you're going to smoke a serious cigar, you plan it and you have dinner and have the cigar afterwards.
"I think short term there will be a loss in business. You can't stop people doing something they've always done. I don't accept from my information that it has worked in America. And what goes in the States doesn't necessarily go in Ireland.
"They may use that argument after the ban that there are more people dining out. That is total codswallop. There are more people dining out all the time because they have busier lives. But I don't know if there's ever a good time to be in the restaurant business.
"I don't believe for one moment that cigar smoking is going to die. People will always find a way, whether it's private parties in houses or something like that.
"I'm enjoying my retirement. I spend quite a lot of my time living in Spain where I don't have any problem, I can assure you, smoking my cigars. They also cost a third of the price."
Compiled by Michael Brennan.
