582. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the transportation of the new EU Tobacco Products Directive into Irish law (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17446/14]

 Minister for Health (Deputy James Reilly):  The new Tobacco Products Directive has been approved and signed by both the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. The new Directive will not come into force until it has been published in the Official Journal of the EU for a specified period. Once in force Member States have two years in which to transpose the provisions of the Directive into their domestic legislation. It is a matter for each Member State to determine how and when the Directive is transposed during that two year period. In relation to the introduction of standardised packaging the revised Directive does not go so far as to introduce standardised packaging on an EU-wide basis, however, it expressly allows Member States to introduce further requirements in relation to standardised packaging.