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Home > Dail Eireann debate. Written answer 104 - Employment support services [15821/14].

[Oireachtas] Dail Eireann debate. Written answer 104 - Employment support services [15821/14]. (03 Apr 2014)

External website: http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20A...


104. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the reason his departmental agencies are prepared to fund a company in County Galway but not prepared to fund a company producing a similar product (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter.  [15821/14] 

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton): I wish to inform the Deputy that the company concerned in County Galway is a client of Údarás na Gaeltachta and matters in regard to that Agency are the responsibility of my colleague, Mr. Jimmy Deenihan, T.D., Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

With regard to the company from County Roscommon, I understand that Enterprise Ireland cannot provide assistance to the company concerned, and indeed, any other company which has a product which contains tobacco, because Ireland has ratified the World Health Organisation (WHO) International Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Article 5.3 of that Convention states the following:
"In setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, Parties shall act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law".   
 
To assist countries in implementing Article 5.3 above, the World Health Organisation (WHO) produced a set of Guidelines which include, inter alia, the following provisions in Principle 4:
'Because their products are lethal, the tobacco industry should not be granted incentives to establish or run their businesses'.

"Any preferential treatment of the tobacco industry would be in conflict with tobacco control policy."   
Accordingly, Enterprise Ireland does not support the company concerned in line with national policy on tobacco control, which is a policy matter for my colleague, Dr. James Reilly, T.D., Minister for Health.
Item Type
Dail Debates
Publication Type
Irish-related
Drug Type
Tobacco / Nicotine
Intervention Type
Policy
Source
Oireachtas
Date
3 April 2014
EndNote
View
Subjects
B Substances > Tobacco (cigarette smoking)
MM-MO Crime and law > Substance use laws > Tobacco / cigarette laws
MP-MR Policy, planning, economics, work and social services > Substance industry, trade or business
MP-MR Policy, planning, economics, work and social services > Labour and work > Workplace / work-related substance issue
VA Geographic area > Europe > Ireland

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