An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-04-22
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Cathal Byrne (FG), Cultural and Educational Panel

I want to raise the issue of vaping and the proliferation of vape shops that are popping up right across our main urban areas in County Wexford. I am not against vaping for adults. I recognise it is something that quite a considerable number of people are engaging in. However, I am speaking about the direct targeting of young children and teenagers under the age of 18 through flashy, cartoon-style advertisements across our main urban streets, particularly on the main streets of towns like Enniscorthy, New Ross and Wexford.
There is a deliberate attempt by these shopfront owners using flashy neon lighting to attract and sell vapes to children so that when they are walking down the main street, their eyes are caught by these shiny bright lights outside of these vape shops. It is something we need to have the Minister for planning come in on. We need clear national guidance on what a shopfront for a vape shop can be, how vape shops can market themselves and particularly about how many vape shops can be on one main street within a proximate location to schools or a proximate location where young people are hanging out. To be clear, I am not against vaping and am not looking for a ban on vaping. I am not against vapes being sold to over-18s but given the proliferation of these shops and how many are starting to come, their frontal design with neon lights and all that goes with it, we need clear national guidelines and, if necessary, legislation in this area.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-04-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:50+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-22