Forest Éireann is an Irish lobby group that claims to speak on behalf of smokers.[1] It aims to replicate the activities of its parent group, FOREST, in the UK,[1] an organisation that receives 96% of its funding from the tobacco industry, including Gallaher PLC.[2] In September 2010 Forest Éireann attracted its first news headlines by publishing a report claiming that the ban on indoor smoking in pubs had been the cause of a decline in trade experienced by Irish pubs, and calling for the ban to be relaxed.[3][4]
The parent organisation has been characterised by academic sources as a front group, as it was organised and funded by the tobacco industry and has generated little grassroots interest.[5] According to internal memos, the tobacco industry designed FOREST to be controlled "through a third party, so that there would be no direct contact between tobacco company personnel or TAC and the director."[5]