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 am outlining my opposition to section 18, which was skipped over. We do not have large numbers of certificates of unjust prosecutions or miscarriages of justice because we actually respect the rules. The Minister of State saying that it is a standard provision in other Acts does not answer the question. I do not accept that there is a reason why this is being done. It is not the case that everything has to be complete and ready to go within six months; it is merely the case that the complaint must be made to the District Court within six months. That, in fact, is the standard provision and has been for the 170-odd years since the Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act 1851 came into force. I am concerned about creep in this regard. If it is the case there are resource issues or something like that, maybe that is a good reason. However, that is not what has been articulated. Six months is the standard provision, and this legislation seeks not just to increase this but to double it. I am not satisfied that there has been a justifiable reason articulated for that.

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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