Meeting fails to reach agreement on smoking ban

The Licenced Vintner's Association and Health minister, Micheál Martin, have failed to reach an agreement on the ban on smoking in the workplace.

In a statement issued following a meeting last night, the LVA branded Martin as "fundamentalist".

The Dublin publicans organisation said he was introducing the ban without consultation despite calls for compromise from his own party.

Donal O'Keefe, chief Executive of the LVA, accused Martin of holding the meeting to give the illusion of consultation.