Market & regulatory data for the vapour sector in Ireland

3rd December 2024: Ireland: With all the votes counted, the main ruling party, Fianna Fáil, has once again obtained the largest number of seats, 48, at the Dáil (lower house of the parliament), press reports. The main opposition party, Sinn Féin, has obtained 39 seats, closely followed by the second main party in the current coalition government, Fine Gael, with 38. Fianna Fáil is likely to form a coalition government again with Fine Gael. Its victory is expected to have a significant impact on the vaping products sector, as the party stated in its political manifesto that it would progressively raise the price of vaping products – increasing the excise rate on e-liquids by €0.50 per year. Fianna Fáil also said that, alongside imposing further packaging, flavours, point-of-sale and advertising restrictions, it would ban disposable vapes and vaping in the workplace if returned to the government.
12th November 2024: Ireland: The ruling Fianna Fáil party has announced in their election manifesto that they will progressively raise the price of vaping products and introduce a wide range of e-cig restrictions if re-elected. The party aims to increase the excise rate on e-liquids by €0.50 per year. Fianna Fáil said that, alongside imposing further packaging, flavours, point-of-sale and advertising restrictions, it will ban disposable vapes and vaping in the workplace if returned to government. Recent polls show Fianna Fáil as the second most voted party after its current partner in government, Fine Gael. This could make it likely for the coalition to govern again.
2nd October 2024: Ireland: An excise duty on e-liquids has been introduced through the 2025 Budget. The excise duty will start applying in mid-2025 and will amount to €0.50 per ml of e-liquid.
12th September 2024: Ireland: Health minister Stephen Donnelly’s proposal to further restrict vaping products and ban disposables was approved on 10th September by the Cabinet of Ministers. Among other measures, a display ban, restrictions on vaping product packaging and a flavour ban are envisaged in the proposed draft legislation. State ministers received the proposal with enthusiasm. One of them, Ossian Smyth of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, said: “Single-use vapes are a challenge in the context of waste management and are a wasteful use of critical raw materials.” The next step is a bill containing those measures being introduced to the parliament. Read more about this topic in our news analysis.
10th September 2024: Ireland: Health minister Stephen Donnelly will introduce a proposal at today’s Cabinet meeting aimed at further restricting vaping products and banning disposables, press reports. Donelly has said he aims to restrict flavours and ban bright and colourful packaging that could appear attractive to under-18s. So far, it is uncertain whether the proposal will result in a complete flavour ban and neutral packaging restrictions. New retail and disposal restrictions are also expected to be announced. The ban on disposables aims to reduce the use of vaping products among teenagers and prevent the supposedly negative impact that these products have on the environment.
26th August 2024: Ireland: The Irish Heart Foundation is urging the government to launch a service to help young people quit vaping, press reports. In its pre-budget submission, the foundation also proposed implementing taxes on vaping products to deter their increasing use among under-18s. It said Ireland should follow the lead of other countries, such as the US, where public services destined to help young people quit vaping products have been launched and have proven helpful.
7th June 2024: Ireland: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has warned the public to stop using two vaping products that have been reported to the European Safety Gate (the EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products) for containing illegal amounts of nicotine. Three e-liquid refill containers (Tobacco 24mg/ml, Ben Son 24mg/ml and USA Mix 24mg/ml) and five flavours of QST Puff Flex 2800 (Red Bull, Peach Ice, Blueberry on Ice, Watermelon Ice and Mango Ice) have been reported to exceed the 20 mg/ml nicotine limit. The HSE has contacted all major Irish distributors of e-cigarettes and refill containers and asked them to stop selling them. People can return the products to the shops where they bought them.
3rd June 2024: Ireland: The Ministry of Health has started work on amending the Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products Act in order to prohibit the sale of these products through self-service. The health minister, Stephen Donnelly, aims to implement the measures by September 2025. This means the sale of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products via vending machines will be banned. Donnelly has also proposed other measures aimed at preventing the consumption of these products among under-18s, such as increasing the age of sale from 18 to 21.
12th March 2024: Ireland: The government is planning to impose an excise duty on e-cigarettes in 2025, press reports. Minister of finance Michael McGrath said his department is working on introducing the tax in the next state budget. He explained that the measure aims to protect young people from vaping. No further details about the excise duty have been revealed.
7th December 2023: Ireland: The Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill has been adopted in both houses of the parliament. Along with prohibiting the sale of nicotine e-cigarettes to under-18s, it will also introduce retail licensing, prohibit sales of vapour and tobacco products through vending machines and at events intended for children, as well as ban advertising around schools and on vehicles of public transport. The bill must be signed by the president before it enters into force.
27th November 2023: Ireland: The health minister, Stephen Donnelly, and the minister of state for public health, Hildegarde Naughton, have launched a public consultation on the regulation of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products, such as e-cigs. The consultation focuses on what measures could be introduced to reduce the appeal of these products to young people and improve public health. The consultation will examine nicotine inhaling product flavours and packaging, as well as public usage restrictions and taxation. The consultation will be open until 5th January 2024.
9th October 2023: Ireland: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has issued two RAPEX safety alerts against two vaping products. The products in question are the R and M Tornado 9000 Disposable Blueberry Cherry Cranberry and WGA The Crystal Pro Max + 10K Puffs Blueberry Raspberry. They were found to contain more than the permitted amount of nicotine (maximum 20 mg/ml or 2%). The HSE has asked retailers to immediately withdraw these products from sale, and display a recall notice within their premises and on websites.

LATEST ALERTS

E-cigarettes in Ireland

What to expect in e-cigs in 2025: is this the end for flavours and disposables?

Could Belgium and France steer Europe towards stricter disposables regulations?

How did we do? ECigIntelligence’s predictions for 2024 under review

Ireland: market snapshot, January 2023

Snapshot: Ireland, October 2021

Snapshot: Ireland, November 2020

Top changes that matter in this month’s Policy Radar update, Oct – Nov 2024

Top changes that matter in this month’s Policy Radar update, June – Sept 2024

What could EU elections mean for the tobacco industry? Analysis of over 100 parties’ views on novel products

Interested in this region? Check our new country subscriptions

Detailed pricing tracker

Online e-cig pricing: Ireland

Europe regulatory tracker, November

Tamarind Intelligence Policy Radar, November

Key global e-cigarette markets database, January 2025

ECigIntelligence compliance calendar

European intellectual property regulatory database

European e-cig stakeholders database

Sign up to our newsletter

LATEST ALERTS

E-cigarettes in Ireland

Interested in this region? Check our new country subscriptions

Sign up to our newsletter

Start your FREE trial