Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-04
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Barry Ward (FG), Dún Laoghaire

I had indicated my opposition to this section. I know we are flying through the legislation, but I wonder if I might just address that.
Section 18 changes the provisions of the Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act 1851, which creates a six-month statute of limitations or a jurisdictional limit on the prosecution of matters. Where we are dealing here with minor offences. These are offences for the purposes of prosecution insofar as they would be dealt with summarily in the District Court. There is usually a six-month time limit in respect of them. For no reason that I can identify, that is being extended to 12 months in the Bill. I just do not know why that would be the case. Is there any reason why the Minister of State thinks that it could not be registered? It does not actually have to be the prosecution; the complaint in relation to an offence having been committed just has to be registered within six months. I would have a concern about creep in this regard. There is a good reason why there is a six-month limit on minor offences. The Government is seeking to double that, and I do not really know why that is the case.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-04/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:43+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-04