Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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909. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which the Government’s legislative response to the rise in vaping intends to be future proofed and cater for novel products such as nicotine pouches; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32691/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The proposals in the Public Health (Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill stem from the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Health Committee in 2022, a large-scale public consultation held in 2023/2024 and specific regulatory impact analysis, based on the available data and research regarding the prevalence of vaping in young people and adults, any evidence of health harms, and research on the interaction between vaping and smoking.

Nicotine pouches are currently not covered by domestic or EU tobacco control legislation, with some Member States classifying them as either a foodstuff or medicine. The regulation of nicotine pouches is being discussed at EU level, both in terms of how these products are categorised and in the context of the review of the Tobacco Products Directive. An EU public consultation was carried out in 2023 to gain views on further regulation of novel products such as nicotine pouches, and a proposal from the EU Commission is awaited.

According to available data, the prevalence of nicotine pouches use remains low in the adult population across the EU. Data on adolescent use of nicotine pouches in Ireland is being collected as part of the most recent European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) and will be published shortly. My Department continues to monitor any emerging evidence regarding these products.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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910. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration is being given to providing QUIT campaigns with free NRT products to people addicted to vapes and nicotine pouches; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32692/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.