Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-07
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Joanne Collins (SF), Agricultural Panel

I move amendment No. 1:
In page 16, after line 20, to insert the following:
“Review of Act and of smoking cessation supports
21. (1) The Minister shall, within 18 months of the passing of this Act, conduct a review, to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas within 24 months of the passing of this Act, to—
(a) examine the operation and effectiveness of this Act,
(b) examine more broadly the effectiveness of public health laws and cessation supports relating to tobacco and nicotine products, and
(c) recommend measures for achieving reductions in the nicotine content of tobacco products, expanded smoking cessation supports, and further encourage a reduction in smoking rates.”.
This amendment is an effort to gauge the public's reaction to the Bill, examine if banning single-use vapes actually changes anything, including whether it is having an impact on people taking up smoking or vaping, and investigates smoking cessation. Let us see what is out there and whether there are any new products or if we can be more active rather than consistently reactive to nicotine or smoking cessation. We should look to see what products are out there and whether we can make them more accessible to individuals who want to give up smoking.
I do not have a problem banning single-use vapes and nor does my party. I am a vaper and I think single-use vapes are the most expensive way to go. You might as well go back smoking with their cost. If you are going to vape like a smoker does, you will use one single-use vape every single day. I think it is a good thing to ban them whether because of the littering we see everywhere or their incorrect disposal.
I do not think this Bill will have the effect the Department hopes for. Single-use vapes will be imported. If someone wants to use a single-use vape, they will find a way around this. I do not think it is something you can mitigate against here today. Vaping is a part of our culture now.
The next Bill coming will look at flavours. Again, I do not think that will sort anything. I have been told that if I want flavours after the new Bill comes in, there will be no problem getting them - they can be got. We need to look at the reasons people are vaping and coming off cigarettes, but we also need to look at making this ban more acceptable to people. The Bill is looking at banning single-use vapes. People are asking me why there was never anything done about cigarettes bar changing the packaging. It took until December 2023 to say that vapes were illegal for sale to under-18s. It completely blew my mind. I thought it was a given that under-18s could not buy them because there was nicotine in them.
Enforcement will be our biggest issue with vaping. We need to go back to what it was like when I was young and you went into a shop to buy cigarettes and the person behind the till would ask for ID because they knew they would be fined. They had the fear regardless of whether it ever happened. We need to go back to that because I do not believe any child should have a vape in their hand. It is absolutely crazy. The only reason I started vaping was to give up cigarettes. Shamefully, I will say I was 11 when I first started smoking, which was the norm back when I was 11 years old - everybody did it. I was lucky to be able to come off cigarettes and go on a vape. Do not ask me if it is healthier – I could not say, as I have not got a clue – but I know it is cheaper for me. I did not have any negative health effects from smoking, I do not have any negative health effects from vaping but I do not like to see children with them in their hands, so I am with the Minister of State on that. However, we need to put a lot of effort into the enforcement side and not collective punishment. We need to make sure that the sellers of vapes are afraid in the same way those selling cigarettes were afraid a long time ago. You will not see someone asking for 20 Benson and Hedges without being asked for ID if they look like they are under the age of 18. Sellers need to start doing that. We need to be a lot stricter about checking the age for buying vapes.
We have tabled this amendment because we want to see how the legislation is working. If it is not working, then we can come back and look at something else. It will be good to have a report on the legislation. I am a great advocate for doing something and checking later to make sure that whatever you did actually worked. If it does not, then it can be amended or added to where necessary.
I will leave it at that and not ramble too much more.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-07/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:09+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-07