Smoking ban and EU role top agenda

THE Government’s proposed smoking ban and Ireland’s EU presidency next year will feature prominently tomorrow as the Cabinet meets for the first time since the Dáil broke for Summer recess.

Although the smoking ban is not officially on the agenda of the meeting, which takes place in Emo, Co Laois, it is likely to feature prominently as debate continues to rage over Health Minister Micheál Martin’s plans to ban workplace smoking from next year.

Describing Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s support of the ban as “fairly categoric”, a Government spokesperson said the cabinet meeting would primarily focus on Ireland’s role as president of the EU next year and that no time had been set aside to debate the controversial smoking-ban measure.

Instead, the central issue to be discussed by the Government ministers is expected to be what theme Ireland should adopt for its EU presidency.

“What the theme is still needs to be decided and will depend on what Italy gets through before the end of its presidency term, but the Cabinet will go through which options can be used,” said a Government spokesperson.

Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen is expected to brief his Cabinet colleagues extensively on the possible roles Ireland could play during next year’s tenure as president.

However, Ireland’s role and any possible theme to be pursued cannot be finalised until after the next intergovernmental conference later this year.

Meanwhile, the British government is expected to publish legislation paving the way for Northern Ireland’s Monitoring Body to be set up later today.

The body, which will monitor paramilitary activity and other breeches of the Good Friday Agreement, cannot go ahead until Irish legislation is published. That legislation is expected to be forthcoming in the autumn Dáil term, the Government spokesperson said.

Referring to speculation that an IRA tip-off had led to the discovery last week of the remains of Jean

McConville the spokesperson said contact with the IRA over the location of the bodies of the disappeared was ongoing.

However, the discovery of the remains of Mrs McConville at Shelling Hill beach, near Carlingford, last week was a coincidence and not related to any specific information which had been received.

“There is ongoing contact and information is passed on, but these matters are extremely technical and there has been a marked failure to use the information in any successful way,” the spokesperson said.

Any further information in relation to the disappeared would be used in the most appropriate manner possible, taking into account the needs of the families and the immense suffering they have endured, the spokesperson said.