Results 1-20 of 1,070,361 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Máiría Cahill OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Matt Shanahan OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:James Browne OR speaker:Thomas Gould OR speaker:Catherine Martin OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Seán Sherlock OR speaker:Joe Flaherty OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Carol Nolan OR speaker:Mark Ward OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Rose Conway-Walsh OR speaker:Róisín Shortall)

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 2: In page 6, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “Report on De-Nicotinisation and Smoking Cessation Supports 11. The Minister shall, within 6 months of the passing of this Act, conduct a review, to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas within 12 months of the passing of this Act, to examine and propose measures regarding gradual...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: It is hard to say. The Minister has pronounced it well.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

Róisín Shortall: Apologies for being late, but I was speaking on the statements on mental health and it was an unfortunate clash. Regarding smoking cessation supports, over the last two years this committee has dealt a lot with vaping and smoking. We urge the Minister to accelerate the production of the legislation to deal with the flavours and disposable vapes which we called for at this committee over...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

Róisín Shortall: We are getting mixed messages on this issue, at the very least, and also mixed objectives. The Minister said there is emerging evidence of harm to adults from vaping. I have not seen that evidence. It would be interesting to see it. However, such evidence is relative. Is it indicating that vaping is more dangerous than smoking to adult smokers?

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

Róisín Shortall: If vaping is less dangerous than smoking, we should be encouraging people to vape in an attempt to get off cigarettes. We have talked about the importance of ensuring nicotine chewing gum remains affordable because it is an important tool in giving up cigarettes. Why would the Minister for Finance interfere in what is, in essence, a public health matter? It sounds a bit like the Government...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

Róisín Shortall: Does the Minister see no role for vaping in smoking cessation? I have never previously heard this theory. Is that what he is saying?

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

Róisín Shortall: That is fine but why is the Minister discouraging vaping for smokers if, as he said, smoking is far more damaging than vaping?

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

Róisín Shortall: That does not make sense in the real world. Is any other country taking this approach? It would be great if nobody smoked but the reality, unfortunately, is that lots of people still smoke and it does them damage. The Minister is saying that we know anecdotally that smokers who use vaping as a means of ceasing smoking, or at least reducing it, find it very beneficial. Is that something to...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

Róisín Shortall: That is in an ideal world. Presumably, the public health view is not really to move from smoking to nicotine replacement; it is to stop smoking.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

Róisín Shortall: However, that is not easy to do.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

Róisín Shortall: That is overly purist. I do not understand that approach.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: I agree that this is a purist position. I understand the logic of it but I agree we have to live in the real world. When we were discussing the Bill within my party, I spoke to former smokers who said that, without vaping, they would still be smoking. That is particularly relevant in the context of Bills being brought forward that deal specifically with vaping. The public health view...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: It is not a case of either-or.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: If that were the case, it would be all the more reason to consider amendment No. 2 and all that it calls for to be of value and assist any future Minister in that regard.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

Róisín Shortall: My reason for raising this matter here today is that it is the only opportunity to hear from the Minister about his thinking. This measure will come in with the Finance Bill on Wednesday, as it is a provision of that Bill.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2024)

Róisín Shortall: Is there any chance the Minister could send us a note on the rationale for it?

Select Committee on Health: Business of Select Committee (10 Oct 2024)

Róisín Shortall: Thursday, at 5.30 p.m. might be too late.

Select Committee on Health: Business of Select Committee (10 Oct 2024)

Róisín Shortall: That is three weeks in a row.

Select Committee on Health: Business of Select Committee (10 Oct 2024)

David Cullinane: I have an important meeting in Wicklow-----

World Mental Health Day: Statements (10 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank the Deputy. We are over time.