Budget 2026 (Enterprise, Tourism and Employment): Statements
Seanad Éireann — 2025-10-14
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Joanne Collins (SF), Agricultural Panel

I welcome the Minister. I have a specific query. I made the same query on the Order of Business earlier. It is not something that everybody would think of, but as a reformed smoker who uses a vape, it is definitely a bone of contention in my house. I gave up cigarettes seven years ago because I just could not afford to keep smoking as a result of the fact that the tax on cigarettes was increased every year. I switched over to vapes. A bottle of juice for the vape contains 10 ml and costs €5. As of 1 November, 50 cent per millilitre will be added to the price, which will bring it up to €10. That is double the cost of what it will be come 1 November. In terms of the cost of living, for somebody who is giving up cigarettes for a cost reason and not a health reason, to double the cost of their bottle of juice is going to be very hard for them to swallow. They are giving it up for a reason, namely because they cannot afford it.
I have never in all my days of watching budgets and price increases seen a tax go on something for the very first time to make it double the cost it currently is. That is quite unfair. It is not going to affect everybody, and it is not going to be at front top of everyone's mind, but there is a good chunk of the population who gave up cigarettes for health or cost reasons. They have moved to vaping. I will hold my hand up; my vape is the only reason I am not still smoking. If it was the case that it came up to the same price as cigarettes or close to it, I probably would go back on to cigarettes because I gave them up for cost as opposed to health reasons. I just want to make the point that it would be nice to have this looked at to see whether the price has to double or whether the level of the increase can be reduced.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-10-14/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:13+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-10-14