Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 637: To ask the Minister for Health, further to Parliamentary Question No. 248 of 18 May 2010, if he plans to continue the practice that the Office of Tobacco Control has no function in relation to reducing the consumption of illicit and counterfeit cigarettes; further to Parliamentary Question No. 376 of 24 May 2010, if the Tobacco Policy Review Group is looking at ways to specifically reduce illicit cigarette smoking prevalence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22055/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Deputy will be aware the Office of Tobacco Control was merged into the Health Service Executive (HSE) in December of last year. All of the core functions of the Office including the maintenance of the tobacco retail register, advice to the Minister on control and regulation of tobacco products, consultation with national and international bodies in the field of smoking prevention, making recommendations to the Minister on measures to reduce or eliminate smoking, and supporting research to identify measures to reduce the incidence of smoking, and preparing and publishing research were retained and a National Office for Tobacco Control has been set up within the HSE.

The HSE has no function in relation to illicit and counterfeit cigarettes which are primarily a matter for the Revenue Commissioners. In this regard, I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that they continue to implement a wide-ranging programme of measures to combat illicit and counterfeit cigarettes including seizures of illegal products and prosecutions of offenders, monitoring of internet sites and importation routes, monitoring of sales patterns to identify and investigate irregularities and target enforcement activity, contributing to action taken at E.U. level to improve the controls of excisable products in the community, and monitoring of sea cargo on the basis of risk analysis-seizures. In the period 2008 to 2010 the Irish Customs Service seized a total of 532 million cigarettes with an estimated retail value of €222 million representing just under 30,000 individual seizures.

There is a range of measures under consideration by the Tobacco Policy Review Group (TPRG ) including price, enforcement of existing legislation and cessation services. I anticipate that the report of the TPRG will be completed in the coming months and that this will be brought to Government for decision.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 638: To ask the Minister for Health, further to Parliamentary Question No. 376 of 24 May 2011, if the Tobacco Policy Review Group has studied the Irish Revenue Commission report published in February 2011 entitled Economics of Tobacco; his position concerning this report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22057/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

There is a range of measures under consideration by the Tobacco Policy Review Group ( TPRG ) including price, enforcement of existing legislation (e.g. bans on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco) and cessation services. This report by the Revenue Commission is being examined by the Group amongst a number of other reports as part of its work. I anticipate that the report of the TPRG will be completed in the coming months and that this will be brought to Government for decision.