Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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232. To ask the Minister for Health her views on the merits of implementing a ban on the sale of all nicotine inhaling products within a 500-metre radius of any primary or secondary school; if any research into this proposal has been carried out by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34946/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The primary focus of policy and action in relation to e-cigarettes is to reduce uptake by children and young people.

The proposed measures in the Public Health (Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill take into consideration the population-level impact of vaping and the need for a high level of health protection for young people. The proposals include a review structure to monitor the impact of any restrictions on e-cigarette use and smoking among both young people and adults, as well as provisions to amend the list of allowed flavours as new evidence presents.

The Bill will contain a range of measures to reduce youth use of nicotine inhaling products such as vapes. This includes:

• a ban on point-of-sale display and advertising of these products in most shops,
• restrictions on the colours and imagery used on nicotine inhaling products and their packaging,
• a ban on devices resembling toys or games,
• restrictions on flavours for sale and requirements for only basic flavour names to be used, and
• a complete ban on disposable vapes.

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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233. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding any research her Department has carried out into the health impact of smokeless tobacco products, including but not limited to, nicotine pouches; if consideration has been given to put the same level of restriction on these products that apply to cigarettes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34947/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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To date my Department has not carried out specific research on nicotine pouches however it continues to monitor the national and international evidence on these products. There is currently little evidence on possible health harms which may be due to these being are a relatively recent product.

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 EU 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 it is expected that they will be included in the next iteration of the EU Tobacco Products Directive.