Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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817. To ask the Minister for Health when the pre-legislative scrutiny report of the public health (tobacco and nicotine inhaling products) Bill 2019 will be available for public release; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16614/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Pre Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill began on 3rd November 2021. It is a matter for the Joint Committee on Health as to when that scrutiny will be completed and the Report published.

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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818. To ask the Minister for Health the timeline for the enactment of the public health (tobacco and nicotine inhaling products) Bill 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16615/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill is with the Office for Parliamentary Counsel for drafting. My Department is working with Parliamentary Counsel on the draft which, subject to Government approval, will then be brought through the Houses of the Oireachtas and ultimately signed into law by the President. At this stage I cannot predict the date by which that process will be complete.

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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819. To ask the Minister for Health the progress of the Tobacco Free Ireland strategy; the way it is planned to achieve the objectives of the strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16616/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland's national tobacco control policy is Tobacco Free Ireland which was approved by Government in 2013. It contains more than 60 recommendations aimed at reducing Ireland's smoking prevalence. The Tobacco Free Ireland Annual Report is published each year and provides an update on progress on the recommendations.

Recommendations that have been delivered up include the introduction of plain packaging for all tobacco products sold in Ireland, a consistent increase on excise duty on tobacco products in each budget and a continual increase in the number of campus, parks and playgrounds being voluntarily made smoke - free spaces.

According to the annual Healthy Ireland Survey, Ireland's smoking prevalence among people aged 15 and above declined from 23% in 2015, when the survey was first conducted, to 18% in 2021.