A newly formed alliance of hotels, pubs, restaurants and guesthouses has warned against the introduction of a smoking ban it claims could result in a loss of some 65,000 jobs.
The Irish Hospitality Industry Alliance (IHIA), which claims 3,500 members, has urged the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, to accept a compromise along the lines already sought by some Fianna Fáil TDs.
The group is proposing that instead of an outright ban, premises could be forced to sign up to better air quality standards.
An IHIA delegation will travel to New York this week for meetings with industry colleagues, who claim that business has been cut by 30 per cent since the smoking ban was introduced there in April.