Health board pub owners criticise ban

EIGHT prominent health board members, who are publicans, have criticised the Government’s smoking ban and called for a compromise deal.

The eight, including five Fianna Fail councillors, have rejected charges that their opposition to Health Minister Micheal Martin's controversial proposal constitutes a conflict of interest.

Last week, politician and publican Val Hanley resigned from the Western Health Board. There are ten other pub-owning politicians sitting on health boards. All but two of them are vehemently opposed to the smoking ban.

However, none of the dissenting councillors believe they should follow the example of the WHB chairman Val Hanley and resign.

"I don't see a conflict of interest, anymore than in any walk of life, and I don't see why Val Hanley had to resign. He obviously felt very strongly about it," said Fine Gael Councillor Bernard McGuinness, whose family owns a pub in Donegal. He believes the ban should be phased in over five years.

"I certainly know where the Health Minister is coming from and the desirability of having smoke-free bars but the change is too dramatic," he said.

Others to oppose the ban include Southern Health Board members: Jackie Healy-Rae TD, Cllr Michael Cahill (FF) and Cllr Tom Fleming (FF); from the North Eastern Health Board: Cllr Hugh Mc Elvaney (FG); Mid-Western Health Board member Cllr Kevin Sheehan (FF); Midlands Health Board member John Moloney TD (FF) and Cllr Bernard McGlinchey (FF) from the North Western Health Board.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said it was an "absolutely indefensible position" for health board members to oppose the smoking ban.

"As politicians with an interest in health, surely they must be interested in reducing smoking. I would like them to reconsider whether they want to talk about the harm and destruction caused by smoking or be champions for good," Professor Luke Clancy said.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern repeated his insistence that the ban on workplace smoking would go ahead on schedule at the Fianna Fáil Ard Fhéis in Killarney.

"Smoking damages the health of those who smoke it will kill 7,500 people this year but smoking also damages the health of those who have no choice but to work where smoking is allowed.

"So from January, smoking will no longer be allowed in the workplace and the ban will include pubs and nightclubs," he said.