Harney reins in Fahey over smoking ban

TÁNAISTE Mary Harney reined in her Junior Minister, Frank Fahey, yesterday by vowing to change the law to protect workers from passive smoke in line with the smoking ban.

Minister for Labour Affairs Frank Fahey, who has responsibility for the health and safety of workers, emerged as an opponent to the full implementation of the smoking ban from January despite previous public declarations of its merits.

Yet in tandem with the total ban on workplace smoking, Mr Fahey is supposed to change the law to place the onus on employers to protect their workers from passive smoking, thereby making it easier to enforce the ban.