Plea for spot checks on vape shops in Kilkenny amid new licensing shake-up

A motion calling for spot checks on vape shops to ensure they are complying with new national licensing laws is set to be tabled at the next plenary meeting of Kilkenny County Council.

Independent councillor Maurice Shortall intends to bring forward the motion following the introduction of a new licensing system for retailers selling tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products, including vapes.

The motion states that “from 2nd February, 2026 a new national licensing system for retailers selling tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products, including vapes, officially came into force across Ireland.”

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It adds that under public health legislation, “all retailers must now hold a licence issued by the HSE Environmental Health Service for each premises where vapes or tobacco are sold” and that “retailers have also been warned that compliance checks will take place in the coming months.”

According to the motion, “these checks are expected to include underage test purchasing as part of enforcement activity, similar to existing tobacco control measures.”

Cllr Shortall’s motion will seek to call on the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, to work with the Health Service Executive to carry out inspections of vape retailers.

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The motion (in its present form) states: “Kilkenny County Council calls on the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, to work in conjunction with the Health Service Executive (HSE) to carry out spot checks on vape shops across Ireland.”

It says the purpose of such inspections would be to ensure that all products being sold are compliant with Irish law.

The motion continues: “The purpose of these inspections would be to ensure that all vaping products being sold are legal, properly imported into the country, and fully compliant with Irish regulations and licensing laws.”

It also states that stronger enforcement would protect legitimate businesses operating within the law.

According to the motion, this is “to ensure that legitimate traders who are trying to make a living are not undermined by businesses selling illegal or non-compliant products.”

Under the new national licensing laws, annual licences will be required for the sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products for each premises from which either product is sold.

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Applications must be made to the National Environmental Health Service of the HSE which has been given the power to issue licences.

Regulations set the annual licence fee at €1,000 for the sale of tobacco products and €800 for the sale of nicotine inhaling products.

The law also provides that licences will not be issued for temporary or mobile premises, for example, pop-up shops at festivals, and that licences can be suspended or revoked.

The requirement for retail workers that sell these products to be over 18 years of age has also been introduced, with some exceptions for family members.

Another introduction additional authority for the National Environmental Health Service, the enforcement authority, to publish the names of those businesses that have been convicted of tobacco control offences.

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