A delegation of British politicians met health authorities in Dublin yesterday to learn lessons from the Government's workplace smoking ban, ahead of plans to introduce similar measures in the UK.
Members of the delegation met the former minister for health, Mr Martin, and said they were impressed at how smoothly the ban had been implemented and accepted by members of the public.
Ms Deborah Arnott, director of the UK-based health charity ASH, who was also with the delegation, paid tribute to the Minister, but cautioned that plans to enforce a ban in Britain might face more obstacles.
"There was cross-party support for the ban in Ireland, which was very important. However, the political system is different in the UK," she said.
"It clearly took political leadership on the part of Mr Martin and he'll go down in the history books as the person who introduced one of the most significant public health policies in the country," Ms Arnott added.
The delegation arrived ahead of a white paper on public health which is expected to include a regulation to restrict or ban smoking in workplaces in Britain.
Mr David Taylor, a Labour MP and chairman of the British All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health, said: "The smoke-free law in Ireland is clearly popular and is already bringing health benefits due to the fall in smoking. We hope to learn from our Irish colleagues and will seek to apply the lessons learned from Ireland to the UK."
The delegation also met members of the Office of Tobacco Control; the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children; Mandate, a trade union which represents bar workers; and the Licensed Vintners' Association.
Ms Arnott said legislators and politicians had learned much from the preparation health authorities made before implementing the ban.
"The fact that it was introduced on a level playing pitch made it easier for everyone. The Office of Tobacco Control was educating employers and people ahead of the introduction of the law, while the 15-month lead-in time also helped," she said.
