Campaigners have hit back at calls to extend the public smoking ban.

Following the prohibition of smoking on beaches and in parks in France, the Irish Heart Foundation has said it supports further restrictions on smoking in Ireland.

Frank Feighan, Fine Gael TD for Sligo-Leitrim, is also reported to have backed calls to ban smoking in more public spaces.

Simon Clark, director of Forest Ireland, the lobby group that campaigns for smokers’ rights, said:

“There is no justification for banning smoking in outdoor public places because there is no evidence that smoking in the open air represents a risk to anyone else’s health, including children.

“Smokers should be considerate to others when lighting up in any public place, but banning smoking in large open spaces such as parks and beaches has nothing to do with health.

“It’s designed to bully smokers until they conform and quit smoking a legal product.”

He added:

“If we ban smoking outside simply to protect young children from the sight of someone smoking, what next? Should we ban adults from drinking alcohol outside as well in case they are bad role models for future generations?”