Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)

In my Second Stage speech, I outlined that the central driver for Ireland's tobacco tax is our public health ambition to reduce smoking prevalence, and the Deputy and I have just had an exchange with regard to that. In this regard, as part of its work in tackling illicit trade, Revenue has identified the increased abuse of a particular excise duty relief that is available for private individuals travelling into the State from another EU country with tobacco products for their own use. The increased level of abuse is concerning as it directly undermines the effectiveness of the tax in disincentivising smoking. Tomorrow, Revenue will be making regulations to adjust the control arrangements to address this. It is a necessary part of the overall work to keep this tax working as effectively as possible. The more effective the tax is, the better it will serve a vital public health objective. Tomorrow, Revenue will publish information about this new arrangement, which will come into effect in early December.