Martin presses ahead with smoke plans

The Minister for Health, Michael Martin, has reiterated his determination to implement a smoking ban in pubs and restaurants from January.

Minister Martin was commenting on the emergence of a new group, the Irish Hospitality Industry Alliance, which claims the ban will lead to 65,000 job losses nationwide.

The Minister questioned the figures provided by the group saying they do not seem to add up. He says the smoking ban will go ahead purely on health grounds.