Health Minister Leo Varadkar or Minister for Children and Youth Affairs James Reilly are reportedly 'working together' to deliver the proposed tobacco plain packaging legislation, according to statements made by both Ministers last week.
In response to a question from Fianna Fáil's Robert Troy, Minister Reilly confirmed that "since my appointment as the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs I have continued to lead on anti tobacco legislation related to Plain Packaging and to a ban on smoking in cars where children are present."
He added that "the Minister for Health and I, with the assistance of senior officials, have agreed a protocol to ensure that both of our departments work together, as required, to ensure the safe passage of the legislation and to provide information around same."
Elsewhere, Minister Varadkar was posed a question from Independent TD Noel Grealish as to whether his Department would "seek the input of IDA Ireland and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation" when preparing a response to the 'detailed opinions' submitted by several EU member states on the plain packaging proposals, "as they relate to the weakening of Ireland's intellectual property rights regime."
"The detailed opinion documents are currently being considered by officials in my Department, and a response is being drafted in consultation with the relevant Government Departments," the Minister stated.
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Stephen Wynne-Jones
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