The Minister for Health Mr Martin has failed to announce a revised start-date for the workplace smoking ban.
|
|
Exemptions described as a "cop out"
|
Mr Martin said last night new regulations would be announced this weekend but it now appears they will not be ready until early next week.
Earlier today prison officers and hospitality industry representatives criticised exemptions to the smoking ban announced by the Minister for Health and said they may challenge them in the courts.
Mr Martin announced yesterday the workplace smoking ban would not be extended to prisons, hotel rooms, psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes and hospices.
The exemptions have been described as a "cop out" and a "soft option" by the Irish Prison Officers' Association (IPOA).
Prison officers are angered at what they perceive as a "lesser standard of health and safety protection" for them compared to other Irish workers.
"It's baffling how we aren't afforded the same protection from a cancer causing agent as other workers," Mr Nigel Mallen, the IPOA's information officer told ireland.comtoday.
"We are considering our legal position and are in consultation with our legal people. We make no apologies to anyone for doing so," Mr Mallen added.
And the Irish Hospitality Industry Alliance claimed the amended smoking ban would not stand up to legal challenges because of the licence status of a large number of pubs attached to homes.