397. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health his department's position relative to the suggested ban on electronic nicotine delivery systems which will be discussed at the World Health Organisation FCTC COP7 in Delhi, India, in November 2016; the names of the persons attending this meeting on behalf of the state; the brief that has been given to the Irish delegation; if the position of his department has been communicated to the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31539/16]

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy): At the request of the Secretariat to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the World Health Organisation prepared a paper for the Conference of the Parties (COP7) that looks at health impacts, policy options, and how to measure the contents and emissions of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS).

The paper outlines the regulatory options for the importation, sale, and distribution of ENDS/ENNDS. It outlines a suite of recommendations. It does not call for a complete ban on electronic nicotine delivery systems. However, it does suggest that they could be banned for minors.

This paper will be considered at the COP7 next month where Ireland will be represented by the National Tobacco Control Advisor in the Department. The European Commission is in the process of consulting with all Member States in order to formalise an agreed EU position on all agenda items for COP7.

ENDS are regulated by the Tobacco Products Directive which was transposed into Irish legislation by the European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 271 of 2016).

The Department will continue to monitor evidence on the potential harms and benefits of these products, so as to inform decisions around any future additional regulation in this area.