Fianna Fail senators urged a rethink on a decision not to provide patients in psychiatric institutions with free cigarettes. Mr John Cregan said there had been a positive media response to plans by the Minister for Health to make our society smoke-free. "Even as a smoker, I would welcome that absolutely."
However, he said: "It's the only comfort that they [the patients] have. We should not forget them because they are not a strong lobby group."