259. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding any research into explicitly including the sale of nicotine inhaling products into the planning permission process for local authorities, thus allowing local councils to evaluate the public health impacts of such sales on their communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35021/25]

James Browne, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: The National Planning Framework recognises the strong link between our health and environment and includes a National Policy Objective to support the objectives of public health policy, including Healthy Ireland and the National Physical Activity Plan, through integrating such policies, where appropriate and at the applicable scale, with planning policy.

The zoning of land for particular purposes, including retail development, is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their overall statutory plan function generally as part of a development plan under sections 9 to 13 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), but can at present also be carried out as part of a local area plan (LAP) process. The making of a development plan or an LAP is a reserved function of the elected members of each authority.

In preparing their statutory plans, including in relation to the zoning of land for particular purposes, the elected members are required to consider and be consistent with, as appropriate, the National Planning Framework, Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies and relevant Ministerial planning guidelines.

With regard to the specific matter of the sale of nicotine inhaling products and consideration within the process of granting planning permission, under the provisions of the Planning and Development Regulations, 2001 (as amended) the definition of a shop includes a structure used for the retail sale of goods. The Regulations do not specify what types of goods may or may not be sold within a shop.

The evaluation of, or any research into, any public health impact of any particular products and the development of related guidance, would, in the first instance be a matter for the Department of Health under the auspices of policy initiatives such as Tobacco Free Ireland.