Taoiseach defends sponsorship of Irish Masters

The Taoiseach has defended the Government's decision to spend £600,000 on sponsoring the Irish Masters snooker tournament over the next three years.

Responding to opposition questions in the Dail, Bertie Ahern said it was amazing that the government was now being blamed for spending money on preventing people from smoking.

Mr Ahern claimed that extensive television coverage of the event, which features several of the world's top snooker players, would "bring home" to young viewers the benefits of not smoking.