Picture: Valerie O’Sullivan
A Kerry TD has slated the decision to add 75 cents to the price of a pack of 20 cigarettes because he believes it is penalising people who are addicted.
Deputy Danny Healy-Rae said, in some cases, the Budget 2024 excise tax hike could end up with less food being placed on tables in some homes or children could be left short of something.
He said it will impact on the lives of people that appreciate and look forward to a cigarette and it would be wiser if the government allocated some of the money already being brought in by the tobacco tax on education programmes in schools encouraging young people not to smoke.
Deputy Healy-Rae said he fears the price hike could also fuel the black market with numerous cigarettes already coming into the country illegally.
“The minister is encouraging the illicit sale of cigarettes. He may be dragging young people to do some other thing. Youngsters being youngsters will try something and maybe even drugs – that will be much worse and do more harm to our society and young population.
“I worry for parents today and into the future rearing children with all of the problems they face,” Deputy Healy-Rae said.
He said he can understand people who smoke as many of them started before government warnings about the damage cigarettes can cause to health.
“I feel for people who have started and who are addicted. It will make it tough on their pocket and many of these people are social welfare recipients,” he said.
“It is now almost €1 per cigarette. People who are smoking, particularly the older people, will continue to smoke and something else will suffer,” the Kerry TD maintained.
Deputy Healy-Rae told the Dáil Budget debate that many years ago he worked with two men and one of them smoked.
“The fellow who did not used to always be jarring the other fellow. He said that if God intended him to be a smoking man he would have put a chimney on him,” he said.
The Kerry TD added: “I do not smoke and I know it is bad for people but I do not agree with this tax”.
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