Martin stands firm despite claim 64,000 jobs at risk

HEALTH Minister Micheál Martin has rejected a call for compromise on the smoking ban, despite an A&L Goodbody Consultants’ report produced yesterday which claims up to 64,000 people could face redundancy as a result of his plans.

The Goodbody report, which was commissioned and paid for by the hospitality industry, also claims the overall cost of the ban could top €1 billion.

Yesterday, Health Minister Micheál Martin rejected the conjecture that there will be negative economic impact due to the ban.

“This is a health issue and the licensed trade should be considering the 70% of customers that do not smoke, that may be attracted to their premises due to smoke- free measures,” said Mr Martin.

The minister cited the California ban and said revenues from bars and restaurants increased more than $10bn after its introduction. “Figures from New York also show there has actually been an increase in employment in the hospitality industry in the aftermath of the introduction of the ban,” said Mr Martin.

The Government’s chief medical officer Dr James Kiely also dismissed the consultants’ report. He said the minister could not compromise on the health and safety of workers in bars, restaurant and hotels.

Passive smoking is a major cause of preventable illness and death, contributing to cancer, heart disease and strokes, Dr Kiely said. “There is no safe level of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS),” he said.

The Irish Hospitality Industry Alliance yesterday launched a report on the possible impact of the smoking ban. Consultant Peter Brennan outlined a series of scenarios, from a 5% fall in sales costing the Exchequer €157m to a 30% drop costing €944m. The ban would cost the industry €200m to comply with the new regulations.

Mr Brennan, of A&L Goodbody Consultants, further argued between 10,700 and 64,000 people faced redundancy if the smoking ban is introduced as planned on January 1. The report claims 13 workers and customers may die every year as a result of passive smoking following exposure in pubs and clubs, a rough figure based on the estimate that 600 people die as a result of secondhand smoke.

The IHIA has offered to put up signs similar to those on cigarette packets, introduce air-quality standards and ventilation, provide designated smoking areas in all pubs except “small venues where this is physically impossible” and a contribution to the cost of passive smoking research.

The trade union MANDATE has urged the minister to stand firm, describing the IHIA’s tactics as scaremongering.

IHIA chair Finbar Murphy said he hoped the document would be a wake-up call to policy makers.