andMr. Boland asked the Minister for Health when the “Conquest” publicity campaign commenced, if “Conquest” packs had been simultaneously supplied in adequate quantities to all chemists and the total cost of the campaign.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - “Conquest” Publicity Campaign.
70.
The publicity campaign commenced on 26 January 1980.
There was some delay in supplying adequate quantities of the "Conquest" packs to all pharmacies prior to the commencement of the campaign because of a short hold-up in production following threatened action by one of the tobacco companies to obtain legal advice and because of a postal dispute. These problems were compounded by the higher than anticipated level of demand for packs through pharmacies.
The estimated total cost of the campaign to-date is £275,000.
Would it have been possible for the Minister to have postponed the commencement date of the publicity campaign until such time as he was satisfied that the legal difficulties would be overcome and supplies of packs would be available to meet reasonably anticipated demand?
The booking of the television advertisement was already committed, so we were tied there. It would have been reasonable to expect that the quantities becoming available would have been adequate, but the demand through the pharmacies as distinct from the demand through other outlets was greater than anticipated by the marketing people initially.
Is the Minister aware of the statement made at the annual meeting of the Pharmacists Association that because of the failure to supply these packs to the pharmacies they would never again co-operate with the Minister's Department in any other attempt?
I am not aware of that and I have just come from a meeting with the pharmacists at which we had very cordial relations about our work in general. Certainly there were difficulties in relation to the estimation of the demand which would come through the pharmacies. This was a new venture, a totally new approach, and the demand through the pharmacies turned out to be far greater than expected.
Is the Minister not aware that an officer of the Pharmaceutical Union stated that his members were unable to receive supplies of this "Conquest" pack and that they would never again be prepared to co-operate with the Minister's Department on the same terms because of the embarrassment to his members. This was widely reported in the newspapers.
Question No. 71.
Has the Minister nothing to say?
I was not directly made aware of it.
Perhaps the Minister will take this matter up now with the officials of the Department and with the union involved?
I will certainly do that.
Question No. 71.
The Minister was indirectly aware, I take it?
I was indirectly aware of difficulties.