Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

922. To ask the Minister for Health the number of retail outlets registered to sell tobacco with the National Register of Tobacco Retailers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19551/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As this matter is an operational issue I have sent the question to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.

Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

923. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of making nicotine replacement therapy free of charge to all those enrolled in smoking cessation programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19557/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Tobacco consumption is the largest avoidable health threat in Ireland and 1 in 2 smokers will die from a tobacco-related disease.

The Tobacco Free Ireland(2013) policy document contains a number of recommendations to assist smokers in quitting tobacco use. In relation to nicotine replacement therapy (‘NRT’) the recommendation is that NRT should be more widely available, including in outlets where tobacco products are sold. In 2014 the Health Products Regulatory Authority announced that they licensed some nicotine replacement therapies to be sold in non-pharmacy outlets.

NRT is one element of a range of tobacco cessation services provided by the Health Service Executive (‘HSE’) to those who wish to quit tobacco use. These services include quit clinics and courses, primary care supports provided by GPs, pharmacists and dentists, online and social media supports on Quit.ie and Facebook as well as medication and nicotine replacement therapies. Determining the number of people who access the wide range of cessation services is difficult as people choose to use the services differently. For example, the number of people who use either the online quit plan or the text service cannot be captured. On that basis it is not possible to provide an estimate of the costs involved in making NRT free of charge to all those engaging with the services.

NRT is available free of charge to medical card holders as the evidence shows that those in lower income groups have a higher prevalence of smoking and therefore carry a higher burden of tobacco-related disease than those in higher income groups.

Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

924. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to examine operational structures to provide nicotine replacement therapy without a prescription to GMS patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19558/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Tobacco consumption is the largest avoidable health threat in Ireland and one in two smokers will die from a tobacco-related disease. The policy document "Tobacco Free Ireland" sets out over 60 recommendations, with the overall aims of denormalising smoking in our society, protecting children from the harms of tobacco, enforcing, regulating and legislating for tobacco activities and products, educating about the dangers of tobacco and assisting those who smoke to stop.

Making nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) more widely available, including in outlets where tobacco products are sold, is one of the recommendations in "Tobacco Free Ireland".

NRT is available to medical card holders, on prescription, on the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme. There are no plans to remove this requirement. NRT products are also available as over-the-counter items in pharmacies, without the need for a prescription.

In 2014, the Health Products Regulatory Authority announced that it had licensed some NRT items for sale in non-pharmacy outlets.

In addition, two non-nicotine prescription medicines are authorised in Ireland to assist in smoking cessation, and these are available in medical card and drug payment schemes.