The Government has been urged to mount a counter campaign to resist the mounting pressure and lobbying to drop its radical plan to outlaw tobacco branding on cigarette packets.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been called upon to lead the campaign to introduce plain packaging on packets in a bid to reduce the numbers of smokers.
The call from Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin comes after the Irish Examiner revealed the growing efforts by industry and business groups to stop the anti-smoking measure.
Businesses, chambers of commerce, retail groups and farming organisations from here and around the globe wrote to Mr Kenny in recent months pushing him and other ministers to drop the plan.
Letters to Mr Kenny came from groups at home as well as from the US, Canada, Turkey, Indonesia, and other EU states with claims the ban is contrary to international trade rules and will face a legal challenge.
One minister was even handed a letter and statements from 71 business groups in the US last week, which included a warning from the US Chamber of Commerce that the plan will have a “significant” impact on Ireland’s economy.
Up to 27 MEPs also wrote to Mr Kenny earlier this year urging him to drop the ban. Responding to the growing lobbying efforts, Mr Martin said he had faced considerable opposition to the workplace smoking ban that he introduced in 2004 as health minister.
Source: Juno McEnroe, Irish Examiner, 07/10/14
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