Cork publicans back resistance to smoking ban

CORK City and county vintners yesterday decided to support their colleagues in Kerry in not enforcing the proposed smoking ban in pubs, on the basis they could not implement it.

A High Court challenge to the ban, which could tie up legislation for months, is not being pursued at the moment. Chief executive of the VFI Tadhg O'Sullivan described the smoking ban as one of the most worst assaults on the drinks' trade in recent years.

"This ban is unnecessary, unworkable and unenforceable and will cause serious damage to the industry and the economy, and is a smokescreen to cover up the inadequacies of the health system," he said.

Mr O'Sullivan said that 84% of people working in public houses in Ireland did not want the ban and were in favour of the compromise which they had put to the minister.

"We are in favour of choice the choice of a person to smoke or not and be in a clean area of a pub with or without smoking and we have proved that with ventilation that can happen.

That compromise had been put ad nauseam to the minister and still they met with a blank wall, he said.

"We will encourage our members to select members to contest the local elections next year on a pro-choice platform," said Mr O'Sullivan.

On the question which had arisen about the possibility of a High Court challenge to the legislation, Mr O'Sullivan said they did not have a definitive decision to go that route.

The federation was looking at a number of legal options open to them, he said.

Neil Murphy, chairman of the Cork branch of the Vintners Federation of Ireland said the members had voted with their feet in attending the meeting to send another message to Minister for Health Micheál Martin.

"It's your livelihoods that will be lost or damaged by this draconian measure," he said.

The meeting, which was attended by Val Hanley, the FF councillor who resigned as chairman of the Western Health Board over the issue, eventually decided, after less than an hour, not to enforce the ban on the basis that they could not implement it.

A special general meeting of all members of the VFI has been arranged for October 28 next in Portlaoise.