307. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health his views on the effectiveness of the legislation on the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products (details supplied) further to the transposition of the European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12218/16]

Minister for Health (Deputy Simon Harris): The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 271 of 2016), which transpose the European Tobacco Products Directive 2014/40/EU came into effect on 20 May 2016. Certain sections of the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act 2015 were also commenced by S.I. No. 270 of 2016 on 20th May in order to transpose Article 13 and Article 14 of the Directive. I am delighted that Ireland is one of 11 Members States that have met the 20 May 2016 transposition deadline.

The Regulations, available on my Department's website, provide for more stringent rules for tobacco and related products and, from a public health perspective, focuses on limiting their appeal, in particular to young people. The Regulations include measures for labelling, ingredients, tracking and tracing, cross border distance sales and the regulation of electronic cigarettes, refill containers, herbal products for smoking and novel tobacco products.

I am confident that these measures will further complement the tobacco control initiatives already in place and will help to drive down consumption of tobacco and protect public health. I also welcome the clarity provided on the regulation of e-cigarettes, which will give confidence to users in the safety and efficacy of these products.