205. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the funding provided in Budget 2026, to address vaping rates among young people; to provide a detailed breakdown of the funding allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57565/25]

205. Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister for Health: In Budget 2025 the HSE was provided €300,000 for a youth vaping prevention campaign. This campaign will provide evidence-based messaging to young people, and information and support to parents and guardians concerned about vaping. That campaign is currently being developed by the HSE and it is intended that it will come into operation by the end of this year. In Budget 2026 an additional €200,000 was provided to the HSE to continue the youth vaping prevention campaign.

     The immediate focus of policy and legislation regarding vaping is on reducing youth uptake. The Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 introduced a suite of measures to tackle the rise in youth vaping including prohibiting the sale of nicotine inhaling products to persons under the age of 18, a new licensing system for the retail sale of nicotine inhaling products, a ban on self-service vending machines and a ban on the advertisement of nicotine inhaling products on public transport, in cinemas and near schools.

     Legislation to restrict flavours, packaging and appearance, point-of-sale advertising and display and to ban single-use vapes is currently being drafted by the Office of the Attorney General. These Bills have been prioritised for publication in the Autumn Legislative Programme.

     For young people, the HSE Quit 4 Youth is a specific 7-week HSE programme to get help to stop smoking or vaping. Junior Cycle SPHE resources were published in 2023 on the impact of nicotine, tobacco use, second-hand smoke, e-cigarettes and vaping and the HSE published specific guidance for schools on vaping in 2024.

     Preventing smoking initiation and encouraging its cessation remain the primary public health focus in relation to tobacco and nicotine use. 17% of the Irish adult population (aged 15 and over) are current smokers. Smoking has a devastating impact on health. Half of all smokers will eventually die from a tobacco-related illness. Each year in Ireland, it claims over 4,500 lives, with more than 100 people dying and over 1,000 hospitalised every week due to smoking-related conditions.

206. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide a detailed breakdown of the €11 million in new funding for drugs and inclusion health services in Budget 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57566/25]

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, Minister of State at the Department of Health: In Budget 2026, the Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drug Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, TD, secured an additional €11 million in recurring funding for drugs and inclusion health services.

Highlights for Drugs services include €0.75m to improve access to Buprenorphine in OAT services, €0.2m to enhance strategic workforce planning for drug services, €0.33m to increase treatment capacity for under-served populations and €0.1m for other drug initiatives. With regard to inclusion health measures the highlights include, €1.53m for homeless health services, €0.5m for early intervention initiatives for children, and €0.61m for refugee and migrant health initiatives.

Further information on the budget announcement is available at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/press-releases/press-release-minister-for-public-health-wellbeing-and-the-national-drugs-strategy-announces-funding-for-drugs-and-inclusion-health-for-2026/

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2025-10-22/205/#pq_205