'Frustrating' That Government Ignoring Evidence, Says NFRN Ireland

The National Federation of Retail Newsagents in Ireland has criticised the decision by Minister for Health James Reilly to press ahead with plain packaging proposals, fearing that if enacted, they will significantly affect the struggling retail industry in Ireland. "It is so frustrating to think that hard evidence is being ignored whilst retailers struggle due to the growth of the illicit trade," said NFRN Ireland President Peter Steemers. "During his election campaign the then leader of the opposition Enda Kenny TD said he wanted Ireland to be ‘the best small country in the world to run a business’ yet shops are closing every week and nothing is being done to curtail the growth of the illicit tobacco trade." NFRN Ireland pointed out that yesterday's announcement follows a poor performance by Fine Gael in the local elections, the medical card review and is in advance of a cabinet reshuffle. 'It is reasonable to presume that Minister Reilly is trying to gain ground but this short sighted view will have a negative consequence for legitimate retailers, the exchequer and the health of Irish people as tobacco becomes more widely available,' it said. NFRN Ireland also cited recent evidence from Australia, which showed that 59 million more cigarettes were sold in Australia during the first year of plain packaging of tobacco products, with a 58% increase in sales in the ‘sub-value’ section. © 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Stephen Wynne-Jones