James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy's amendment specifies the minimum and maximum size of a cigarette pack. The Bill as drafted does not set minimum and maximum sizes but the new EU tobacco products directive sets out the minimum width and height of the graphic or combined health warnings placed on packs. Cigarette packs cannot therefore be any smaller than these minimum requirements. In effect, this indirectly sets a minimum pack size. The EU directive provision will be introduced at the same time as the provisions in this Bill.

The minimum size of the warnings eliminates those enticing small lipstick-style packs, as alluded to by the Deputy and which I have shown to members in the past. Existing legislation in Ireland has banned cigarette packs with fewer than 20 cigarettes, which eliminates the more affordable ten-cigarette packs from the market.

That eliminates the more affordable packs of ten from the market and was introduced specifically as a deterrent for children and young people starting to smoke. In relation to maximum heights and widths, the bigger the pack, the bigger the graphic warning that is on the pack. On that basis, I see no benefit to limiting the size of the packs if it makes the graphic warnings more prominent. I therefore cannot accept the amendment.