Fergal Nealon

So hopefully that will see a clamp down on the proliferation of shops.

We did ask the question of Cyber County Council and there was nothing within their development plan.

to require planning permission to open with an existing or former retail unit.

So I think that's something we do need to look at that, legislating, separating retail, normal standard retail, from vape shops.

I think that's something we certainly need to do because Claire, we're spending millions on town centre first initiatives.

public realm upgrades, streetscape enhancements, trying to make our towns beautiful, trying to make them places where people want to visit, shop and live.

And then you walk down the main street and you have the shop front that looks like a nightclub crossed with a sweet shop.

And it's a real blight.

100%.

And these local business owners who do invest in tasteful, well-presented shop fronts, they shouldn't have to compete for the character of their street with a premises that looks like it's designed to sell sweets to children, but it's actually pushing nicotine.

Absolutely.

I've been contacted by countless parents, worried parents whose kids or early teen kids have become addicted to these products.

I've been contacted by principals, been contacted by other Fine Gael counsellors throughout the country as well.

So I think it's

having conversations such as this working with our councils because LIGO has shown a proactive lead on this and working with them throughout the county as well as their national representatives that I'm hoping this becomes a national conversation because parents across Ireland are saying the same thing we need to protect our children stop dressing nicotine up as fun and hold these premises to the same standards we hold every other business on the street

So let's see every other county now do the same.

Well, I'd say the HSE's position here on this is very unambiguous.

Ute vaping offers no benefit, none.

So what it does is it is nicotine addiction.

It's harmful to brain development in adolescents, mood disorders, including anxiety and depression.