Vol. 508 No. 2
47 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children if his Department has a written code of practice in regard to passive smoking; and the extent to which his Department has encouraged or assisted other Departments to produce written codes of practice for passive smoking in their workplaces. [18221/99]
Beginning in 1993, my Department developed a voluntary code of practice in relation to smoking in the workplace, following consultation and agreement with staff representative bodies. Subsequently, from 6 April 1999, all of my Department's offices became no-smoking areas, including single occupancy rooms and restaurant facilities.
A voluntary code on smoking in the workplace was developed by the health promotion unit of my Department with the support of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Irish Business and Employers Federation, the Irish Cancer Society, the Irish Heart Foundation and the Health and Safety Authority. The code is included in a booklet titled Working Together for Cleaner Air and was distributed to over 5,000 companies, including other Government Departments, in late 1994. This code encourages a consensual approach to smoking control policies through a consultation process between staff and management interests.
