Home > Dail Eireann debate. Written answers 1010, 1011, 1012 & 1014 - Tobacco control measures [45891/13, 45896/13, 45904/13, 46446/13] [Licensing].

[Oireachtas] Dail Eireann debate. Written answers 1010, 1011, 1012 & 1014 - Tobacco control measures [45891/13, 45896/13, 45904/13, 46446/13] [Licensing]. (05 Nov 2013)

External website: http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20a...


1010. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if the increase of the tobacco retailers licensing charge proposed in Budget 2014 is purely a revenue-raising facility or if it is designed primarily as a public health promoting measure; if the former, if he has taken into account the potential loss to the State of revenues by an increase in black-market trade which may result from this measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45891/13] 

1011. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health with regard to the licensing for the sale of tobacco products in a small rural shop, the cost to purchase this type of licence and if he will indicate the quantity of cigarettes that would need to be sold in order to recoup the cost of this licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45896/13]
 
Minister for Health (Deputy James Reilly): I propose to take Questions Nos. 1010 and 1011 together.

Retail measures were introduced in July 2009 (Point of Sale Display and Advertising Ban).

Currently under Irish Tobacco Control Legislation a retailer wishing to sell tobacco products must register with the Health Service Executive (HSE) and be placed on the Retail Register for the sale of tobacco products. Under the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2002 as amended the HSE may charge a fee as may be determined by the Minister for Health. To date this has been a once off fee of €50 per applicant.

The Government proposes to increase the Retail Register fee during 2014 in the context of legislation to provide for the licensing of the sale of tobacco products as outlined in Tobacco Free Ireland which was approved by Government in July of this year.
 
 
1012. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health with regard to the licensing of tobacco vending machines, if the licence required apply to the shop and vending machines or just the person supplying the vending machine; do the suppliers of said vending machines need to get a licence for each vending machine supplied to each shop or one single licence to cover all the shops they have vending machines in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45904/13]
 
Minister for Health (Deputy James Reilly): Currently under Irish Tobacco Control Legislation a retailer wishing to sell tobacco products must register with the Health Service Executive (HSE) and be placed on the Retail Register for the sale of tobacco products. This includes the sale of tobacco products by self-service vending machines. Under the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2002 as amended the HSE may charge a fee as may be determined by the Minister for Health. To date this has been a once off fee of €50 per applicant.
 
The Government proposes to increase the Retail Register fee during 2014 in the context of legislation to provide for the licensing of the sale of tobacco products as outlined in Tobacco Free Ireland which was approved by Government in July of this year. 
 
 
1014. Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 104 of 15 October 2013, regarding his Department's participation in the high level implementation group to oversee the project plan for the introduction of plain packaging of tobacco products and where his Department outlined to the group from an intellectual property perspective the potential issues arising in relation to domestic and international law, the issues that he referred to in his response; if they are significant in terms of framing the proposed legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46446/13]
 
Minister for Health (Deputy James Reilly): The work of the Steering Group is part of the deliberative process informing the drafting of heads of a Bill to regulate the retail packaging of tobacco products in Ireland. As such it would not be appropriate for me to give details of any discussions held by the Group at this time.
Item Type
Dail Debates
Publication Type
Irish-related
Drug Type
Tobacco / Nicotine
Intervention Type
Policy
Date
5 November 2013
EndNote

Repository Staff Only: item control page