asked the Minister for Finance if, in view of the danger of further disemployment of owners and employees of shops engaged exclusively, or almost exclusively, in the retail cigarette and tobacco business, he has considered the desirability of confining that retail business to such shops, or at least of excluding it from such concerns as public-houses, hotels and restaurants, which, previous to the curtailment of supplies, kept cigarettes and tobaccos mainly for the extra convenience of their customers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Retail Tobacco Business.
The matter of confining retail sales of tobacco in the manner indicated in the question has been raised from time to time. There are serious objections to the adoption of the course suggested, the chief of which are the inconvenience caused to the public and the adverse effect on the revenue. For these reasons I cannot promise sympathetic consideration of the suggestion.