Vintners threat to withhold VAT a 'disgrace', says Ahern

The Taoiseach today described a threat by some publicans to withhold VAT in protest at the impending ban on smoking in the work place as a "disgrace".

Mr Ahern said the plan suggested by speakers at a meeting of the Vintners Federation of Ireland in Portlaoise yesterday would also be "illegal".He said this was a "disgraceful matter for them to get into. I hope they don't do it, it's illegal."

Mr Ahern said publicans should stop their opposition to the ban and concentrate instead on the harmful effects of smoking.

"The fact is that 7,000 people are dying from smoking and they should concern themselves with that.

"My own view is they will make more business because I think most of the pubs are fairly badly ventilated, fairly poisonous with people smoking.

"And I think now that will be gone, an awful lot of decent people will go back into them and I think they will." Mr Ahern quipped most publicans are "making too much anyway".

Mr Ahern was also quick to point out that the VFI had objected equally strongly when the rules on drink driving were changed.

"I remember when we tightened up on drink driving the pubs were all going to close down as well. Looks to me as if they are getting more expensive by the day, not to mind the price of what you get in them", he said.

He was responding to one of the plans suggested to oppose smoking ban in public houses at a meeting of more than 1,200 VFI members in Portlaoise yesterday.

The VFI's national executive will meet on November 26th to consider the proposals put forward which include the possibility of running candidates in the local and European parliament elections next summer in protest over the ban.

The federation is also taking legal advice before deciding what steps to take in their campaign of opposition to the ban.

Enforcing the ban was the main difficulty expressed yesterday. Members said they would not "put themselves and their businesses at risk" by trying to enforce "the unenforceable".

Earlier today the bar workers' union MANDATE called on vintners to end their confrontational approach and work with Government and unions to protect staff and customers

The union said that now the workplace smoking ban is a "fait accompli, the various vintners' organisations should engage in constructive dialogue over the ban's implementation."