Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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842. To ask the Minister for Health if there is proposed legislation to load an €1,800 annual licence on all shops to sell cigarettes and vapes (details supplied); if she will reconsider this proposal as it does nothing to discourage members of the public from purchasing cigarettes or vapes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7225/25]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in Ireland, with 4,500 people dying each year from tobacco-related diseases. Smoking related deaths are mainly due to cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and heart disease. The cost to society from smoking due to healthcare costs, welfare and loss of productivity is estimated to be in excess of €10 billion per year. It is therefore the Government’s objective under the 2013 Tobacco Free Ireland policy to effectively eliminate smoking.

The Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 fulfils the legislative commitments made in Tobacco Free Ireland, including introducing a licensing system for retailers with the specific intention of denormalising tobacco retailing and reflecting the seriousness of the harms caused by tobacco compared to other products. It is also a pre-requisite for Ireland to ratify the Protocol to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which is designed to eliminate the illicit trade in tobacco products.

The final Bill was debated and passed in the Oireachtas in 2023. The Act provides for an annual licence per outlet for those wishing to sell:

a) tobacco

b) nicotine inhaling products, or

c) tobacco and nicotine inhaling products.

The provisions of the Act relating to the requirement for a licence to sell these products were commenced in December 2024 under the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 (Commencement) (No. 3) Order 2024. The licence fees were set in the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 (Fees) Regulations 2024. As with alcohol licensing, which carries a similar fee and structure, it is a matter for each individual retailer to decide whether or not to sell these products, and to apply for the relevant licence if so. The system will come into operation on 2 February 2026.