National archives 1985: Carroll Industries threat to pull £50m investment

One of the country’s main tobacco manufacturers threatened the coalition in 1986 with cancelling a £50m investment plan if the Government pressed ahead with new anti-smoking laws.

Carroll Industries warned Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald it could no longer contemplate investment “outside the tobacco business” as a result of what it claimed was unilateral action by health minister Barry Desmond.

In a letter to Dr FitzGerald in January 1986, the firm’s managing director, Dan Carroll, said the proposed legislation would have “extraordinarily serious implications”.