McDowell issues smoking ban warning
The Minister for Justice has said publicans who flout the law on the smoking ban could lose their licence to trade.
Michael McDowell was responding to questions about the challenge to the ban by certain publicans in Galway and Cork.
He said he is prepared to give new powers to gardaí to deal with publicans who break the law.
“In case anybody is thinking of following their example I want to make it very clear that I will have no hesitation in having an immediate conference with the Garda Commissioner," he said.
"If we consider it appropriate, and I can see no reason why we wouldn't, an instruction will go out to every superintendent to oppose the renewal of any licence of any person who flouted the law in this way.”
