Concern over alleged sale of 'pre-rolled joints' to 'kids' in Kilkenny

A local councillor is scheduled to raise a motion at a plenary council meeting later today following a public assertion that 'pre-rolled joints' are being made available for sale at unspecified retail settings in Kilkenny.

Cllr Maurice Shortall told followers that the products are being sold to members of the public, including young people ('kids'), and has called for stronger enforcement of existing regulations.

Accompanying his statement is an image showing two pre-rolled joints in what appears to be commercial packaging, although the exact nature and composition of the contents is unknown.

Speaking ahead of the motion, Cllr Shortall said the issue highlights the need to protect both public health and legitimate businesses operating within the law.

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“This is about standing up for legitimate retailers in Kilkenny and nationwide, while others get away with breaking the law on a daily basis,” he said.

The motion to be brought forward at today's meeting 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.”

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.”

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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.

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.

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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.”

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