Ruth Coppinger
Dublin West · People Before Profit-Solidarity · Ireland
“Next Wednesday, the trial continues of the Ulm five, including the Irish citizen, Daniel Tatlow-Devally. A delegation of TDs and Senators, including me, will attend the trial in Stuttgart next week.”
“This man said of one woman that he would attach her to a concrete block. He said of another that he would set fire to her. Should this person be getting a pay off from the Army? No, of course, he should not. He should have been put on trial.”
“I have very little time left, but I want to put on record that the woman in question was abused by an Army officer using military equipment and surveillance technology, which is extremely scary. She made a complaint, which has never been pursued.”
“When is the victims of crime Act 2017 going to apply the Army? The Women of Honour have pushed for change so that if there is abuse within the Army there will, we hope, be mechanisms to deal with that, but what about women who are abused by Army personnel who are not in the Army?”
“This officer was involved in a GoFundMe campaign, where rapists' names were used as a joke by the various men who contributed to it. I do not think rape is funny and the Army should not either. That GoFundMe campaign was left up for a long time. Why is the Army a law unto itself in relation to gender-based violence?”
“The victim's belief is that the military prosecutor has evidence of a very dangerous man but for some reason, the Army does not seem to be concerned because it has not prosecuted him on those charges. Why would the Army not want to prosecute somebody? Are we at war or something? Why is it so secretive?”
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“The UNHRC specifically notes that mere pushing or shoving or anything like that, which was not even the case at the port because people were just walking, does not constitute or amount to a threat or to violence. Independent legal observers were present on behalf of the ICCL on the day and will, I hope, provide a report. I turn to the Garda’s own regulations on the use of pepper spray. They state gardaí must always consider non-physical approaches, obviously. Paragraph 1.4 states the fundamental principle underpinning the use of pepper spray is that it must comply with the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and accountability and is not to be used in a non-discriminatory manner.”
“Gardaí also had riot shields and used long batons on the day. I have a statement issued by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties following the events. It states it was gravely concerned by the heavy-handed policing approach to the protest. It refers to the indiscriminate use of pepper spray and states any use of force by gardaí must always be proportionate and necessary, in line with Garda policies. Let me set out what Garda policies stipulate and how they were breached. Human-rights law provides broad protection for the right to peaceful protest. It actually protects the right to block a road. The only ground upon which gardaí can use pepper spray is if they fear violence is being used directly against them.”
“I wish to raise a matter of very serious importance, namely the use of pepper spray by An Garda Síochána. My concerns arise from what happened last Saturday at Dublin Port. A group of protesters went to the port in solidarity as we approach two years since the genocide in Gaza began, and in light of Ireland’s continued favourable trade with Israel. This was part of a global movement. In Italy last Friday, for example, workers held a general strike to try to stop the barbarism and bloodshed. The protesters at Dublin Port, who were entirely peaceful, met a large cordon of gardaí who blocked their path and prevented them from progressing. The gardaí then proceeded to use pepper spray indiscriminately, without any verbal warning and at a distance closer than the recommended 1 metre minimum.”
“During the week, a former Minister for Social Protection was asked about it in an interview. She said that somebody who is trans should be classed as transitioning and not as male or female. She said the Gender Recognition Act should probably be looked at and that it is all very complex. To me, this is a very dangerous signal to be sending out to trans people at this time, when their lives and whole existence are being undermined and threatened. It needs to be addressed by the Government. That person is not in government now but is standing for the Presidency, Heather Humphreys. They are sending out a signal, leaning into this very far right vote, with the disappearance of Maria Steen and the disappearance of a Fianna Fáil candidate.”
“A couple of years ago, 220 people were admitted to hospital for eating disorders. There was a doubling over the pandemic of people aged under 18 being admitted. Many promises were made by the Minister of State regarding eating disorder provision. Bodywhys has seen a 20% increase in demand but it gets very little funding in comparison with other NGOs. Funding is meant to be available to add two new eating disorder teams but where are these services? In the time I have left, I want to ask about the mental health of LGBT and trans people. From previous debates with the Minister of State, I know it is an issue she is personally invested in. What is the Government's stance on the Gender Recognition Act? My feeling was that the Government supported it. It was introduced ten years ago by the then Minister for Social Protection.”
“The waiting lists are increasing and the staffing is going down. This needs to be addressed. With regard to Traveller community mental health, it is some indictment that members of the Traveller community are six times more likely to take their lives. One survey found that two thirds of Travellers know somebody who has taken their life. This study found discrimination and racism to be a major factor. The Traveller mental health action plan was never fully implemented. It was promised in the previous programme for Government and it is urgent. I want to mention eating disorders. The Minister of State has been challenged on this by many activists. Eating disorders are the most deadly mental health condition. The HSE estimates that 180,000 people are affected by eating disorders.”
“Mental health reform is needed in order to alleviate the worst aspects of the problem. A psychiatric nurse is often sent along with a garda to deal with somebody in the midst of a mental health episode. That is not a good approach because some gardaí - I am not saying all - are not trained in this area. We also know there has been a poor track record of gardaí dealing with people in the throes of mental health crises. It is not a good approach. We know there has to be specialised support for people. I want to mention the perinatal mother and baby unit, which will cost €13.5 million. It has been promised for the past couple of years but it is still not in place. The lack of such a unit means that when mothers are put in adult units they end up getting separated from their babies. CAMHS is a huge area that needs massive resources.”
“However, in hospitals that are 24-7, people who work in that sector have told me that only 70% currently meet the psychiatric liaison accreditation network standards and eight of these departments lack any appropriate space for mental health crisis. People show up at an accident and emergency department and often leave again because they do not get the proper care . Unfortunately, some end up taking their own lives. This has been seen again and again by so many families. The Minister of State admitted that overcrowding and a lack of staff are leading people to go into hospitals when they should actually be getting care elsewhere. Then, they are not seen quickly enough and they end up dying. The promises regarding 24-7 mental health services that were made a decade ago need to be delivered.”
“In 2023, Ireland had 30.7 psychiatric hospital beds per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with an EU average of 71 beds, so it is around half of the EU average. Some of the beds that have been announced are in the children's hospital, so they will not be available for a long time. I want to mention the 24-7 accident and emergency services that are meant to be available for people who are suicidal. Annually, 51,000 people have a mental health crisis and go to an accident and emergency department. The suicidal ideation action plan for the HSE states that there should be 24-7 mental health services available in most hospitals.”
“The College of Psychiatrists of Ireland and Sláintecare have stated repeatedly that mental health should be 10% of the health budget, but yet here we are again, and it is 5.8%, so it is just over half of what is needed. That really is an indictment at a time when we have a budget surplus. Some patients are waiting more than six months for public counselling. Most people do not bother waiting for public counselling. We all know most people scrimp and save and try to pay for it themselves, a bit like what happens with dental care. but it risen by over 40%. On the CAMHS waiting list, 620 children are currently waiting more than a year for access and 4,437 are waiting for access to an appointment.”
“It is obviously welcome that the suicide rate in Ireland has reportedly come down since 2020, but suicide is still the most common cause of death among young people. That is a horrific indictment of our system and according to the CSO, it is the most common death for 18- to 34-year-olds. A mental health survey by Laya Healthcare shows that 43% of the population struggle with their mental health. A UNICEF survey has found that Ireland ranks 24 out of 36 countries for good mental health among young people, with one third being unsatisfied with their lives. We have a huge mental health crisis among young people that has to be seriously explored. It certainly does not help that so many young people do not have the prospect of a home of their own and have to consider emigrating and so on. There are obviously other causes too.”
“Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day. I wanted to give a nod to the fact that with genocide, racism and an increase in violence and brutality worldwide, huge damage is being done to people's mental health. We hope that the peace plan announced today for Gaza will bear fruit, but we still have huge issues of ecocide and genocide that are causing massive damage to the mental health of so many children, in particular those who are orphaned or disabled. I must mention Sudan in this context. I feel it is important to note that. I am wearing a keffiyeh in solidarity with those sentiments. This is a cultural symbol of Palestine, a symbol of fish and nets and olive trees, rather than a political symbol, as it is being interpreted.”
“No money should be given to Dublin Zoo, an archaic institution, until there is a full independent public inquiry into the treatment of animals, particularly things like the elephant breeding programme and also into its whole work culture. Public accountability is absolutely vital in this regard.”
“A Laya Life survey found it takes €294 a week to raise a child in Ireland and it has increased by nearly 40% in ten years. There are two other areas want to ask about. The Irish language has become a huge issue particularly among younger people where there is a revival in the Irish language. However, demands to support that have just been ignored. Foras na Gaeilge has 45% less funding than 20 years ago. It will get an extra €2 million as will Conradh na Gaeilge, which is insufficient. CEARTA demanded an additional €55 million, but budget 2026 delivered half of that. TG4 got half of what it asked for. I do not know if Dublin Zoo is covered under the heritage section. Is public money being allocated to Dublin Zoo? We know a meeting took place with the Minister where €25 million in public funding was asked for.”
“That €680 million could have abolished the means test completely for all existing recipients of carer's allowance with money to spare. We all heard the promise before the election of €200 a month for childcare. We know that Ireland spends the least on childcare in the whole OECD. We have the worst childcare to wage ratio in the OECD. We have the most privatised childcare system in the world with 75% being provided by private companies. Yet the Government turns around and does nothing, again waiting for another four budgets. Does it know that children grow up over the course of four budgets? Workers are paying for this and now the Government has left them bereft. I want to mention a couple of other areas. The child benefit payment in August 2015 was €140 and it is pretty similar today.”
“She is thinking of leaving the country, adding, of course, to the teacher shortage and skills shortage in care that we have. She does not want to leave her country but she has to consider it in order to have an affordable life. A single renter is €37 worse off. A couple with an income of €140,000, two children and a mortgage are €131 worse off. That is before the costs of groceries, electricity and all that are factored in. We know developers, the fast-food industry and the restaurants got huge tax cuts. It should be pointed out again and again that apartments already being built and already with planning permission will get this money. It is just dead money. So much for Fine Gael looking after public money. Half a billion will go to developers and €680 million will go to the hospitality industry next year.”
“The Irish Wheelchair Association pointed out that a disabled person will be €1,614 worse off after this budget. We already have a situation where people with disabilities are twice as likely to be homeless and to be living in poverty. Gillian Sherratt, the mother of the late Harvey Morrison Sherratt, pointed out on social media that during Covid it was deemed, in the context of the pandemic unemployment payment, that people needed €325 per week to live on. The artist's basic income is €325, but disabled people and carers are expected to survive on so much less despite the fact that they have so many more additional costs. After this budget, workers with children are much worse off. On the "Prime Time" programme last night people will have seen Erica who is €71 worse off. She is a teacher and her husband is an SNA.”
“The disabled community is reeling in the aftermath of this budget. People are sharing ideas online of how they are going to spend the extra tenner a week. They are absolutely gutted by what the Government did. The Disability Federation of Ireland has called it a major setback. The Government's argument that it is providing services instead of allowing people to live independent lives is utterly insulting. The Government got a hammering from disabled people in the referendums on families and care and with regard to the pushback in respect of the Green Paper. The Government's response is to make disabled people and carers worse off. That is unbelievable. Last night, many Government representatives talked about people waiting for the full five budgets. Many people cannot wait for five budgets.”
“Today, the big two features of the budget are for the fast food industry, which is getting a huge tax break, and the developers. There is nothing for the disabled. There is no hope for people on the housing lists or for those emigrating. This really is neoliberalism writ large. The Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, should be here to answer some of these questions.”
“This really is neoliberalism taken to its nth degree. The Government has just given up any semblance of building public housing. I checked the figures for the third quarter of 2024 where the words “housing options” and “housing supports” come up again and again. The Government uses measures like HAP, which is the most expensive and wasteful way to house someone that one could think of, and other means of leasing and so on from private developers. This is shameful. We are now into – and it should be marked - 12 years of successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments that have been content to let housing misery fester in this country. Imagine that for 12 years. People who were being made homeless contacted me back in 2013 and it has not stopped since. This is a social ill that the Government has been happy to allow.”
“To give the Minister an example, one I have raised here many times before, there is a vacant strategic land bank for the whole of Dublin owned by Fingal County Council stretching for miles, with beautiful forestry and rivers situated near a rail line. The council said it could build 7,000 social and affordable homes on that land. That is 7,000 homes in Dublin right now, which would be a significant contribution to reducing the housing crisis in west and north Dublin, but what is the Government doing? Not a brass farthing has been given to develop that land bank; there has been nothing. A question was put in by one of our councillors recently about this land. The answer came back that no money had been asked for or given. It is not like there is a rush or anything. It is not like there is an emergency or people in desperation.”
“As has been said, these apartments will most likely be rented out at completely unaffordable rates, just like all of the apartment complexes that every single one of us see flying up in Ashtown and Ongar, which tend to be eight or nine storeys high with a big “U” sign and rented out by vulture funds. They will do nothing to make the life of anyone who is trying to get a home and struggling in the private rental sector easier. The only thing the Government did for those people was to give them a €200 credit per year. Did the Government ever give any consideration to giving this money directly to councils to build on their own vacant land? Does the Government have figures for the acreage of council land available?”
“In the old days, housing figures came out and we took them to be public housing figures. I find it actually laughable in recent years the way the housing figures encompass everything that is built in the country and the Government takes the credit. I see this as the Government’s drive to reach the housing targets it missed by pumping money into private developers and construction companies in a desperate means to get the figures up. What is the total cost of all of these measures? While I have seen a figure for one of the measures, I have not seen a figure for the VAT cost. What is the nature of the apartments that will be built? They could be extremely expensive and luxurious apartments. Is the Government putting any rules or stipulations whatsoever in place, or is it just lashing some money down?”
“By the Minister's own admission, the Government has a €10 billion surplus. Yet, students are going to pay €500 more for third level education than they did last year. Nothing has really been allocated to help people with childcare costs. Before this budget, the mantra from nearly every party was that the cost of childcare should be €200. We are absolutely nowhere near that. Of course, people cannot find childcare places. We need investment in a public childcare system that should, like primary and secondary education, be absolutely free. We do not need people completely ignoring the scale of the issue.”
“There were four victims of male violence in two days last week, and the Government has increased the funding for the entire sector by €11 million. Once again, this is completely disproportionate to the need that is there for refuges, rape crisis centres and outreach services to help people get out of violent relationships. In sport, the Minister mentioned a new era for football in our country. In that regard, he has allocated €3 million for the League of Ireland academies. A sum of €10 million was given to the NFL in order to get two teams to come here to play one game last week. That game will not benefit many thousands of people in the same way that football will. We need investment in grassroots sport, not this kind of investment in jingoistic sports and the super-wealthy. This is a very wealthy country.”
“This move will not attract back one teacher, nurse or other essential worker from abroad. As we know, the disability sector has been very neglected. Some 93% of the disposable income of a household in which there is a disable child is spent on disability costs. The Government has increased the domiciliary care allowance by €20 a month, which is less than a fiver a week. The extra teachers and SNAs just cannot be found. Schools are closing due to costs. The Government has increased the standard capitation grant by €50 a year per child. The INTO asked for a €75 increase. There are a couple of other things I noticed in the budget. In the context of justice, we have an epidemic of gender-based violence.”
“However, we do know the cost of some of the other initiatives it has introduced today. The cost of the cut in corporation tax for cost rental is estimated at €20 million. The cost of the corporation tax cut on some construction goods and the conversion of non-residential buildings has been put in the Government's books at €125 million. There are a slew of other incentives. How many social and affordable homes could have been built for that amount on council land that is lying idle? In this regard, I refer, for example, to the landbank in Dublin West, at Ashtown and Dunsink, which has been identified as having the potential to be used to provide 7,000 houses. The cost of rent is strangling people. The Government has just provided a €200 increase in the rent credit as opposed to the real rent controls that are needed.”
“Given that we are marking two years of genocide, I take this opportunity to note that they are all at the top of the BDS list. McDonald's makes €41 million in profits in Ireland alone, so the chicken mcnugget subsidy is very aptly named. Supermacs has profits of €46 million. Deloitte, the accounting firm, has told the Government time and again that this cut will not have a benefit in the areas in which they Government says it wants it to go to. The INMO has pointed out that the Government could have hired 11,000 additional nurses or that free public transport could have been introduced for the cost of this cut in VAT. On housing, the Government is throwing money at developers yet again in so many different ways. The Government has still not said how much the VAT reduction to 9% for the construction of apartments will cost.”
“The price of electricity has risen by 69%. Gas has gone up by 102%. The average gas bill is now €280 euros more. The supports provided previously in this regard have been taken away from people. The budget is a great giveaway for the takeaways, if people will excuse the pun. The fast-food chains will benefit from the VAT reduction, from 13.5% to 9%, for hospitality sector. Next year, this will cost the Irish taxpayer €670 million. Who gains from this? It is McDonald's, Starbucks, Burger King and all of those huge multinational companies that are highly profitable as matters stand as opposed to the small cafes that communities need. Forty one per cent of this cut will go to the big fast-food sector and 20% will go to small cafés and restaurants. Some of the companies to which I refer are among the biggest and most profitable in the world.”
“The absence of the Ministers is not a sign that there is an interest in what we have to say. An independent life is what we all aspire to. What hope can young people have of an independent life and a home of their own after this budget? Two thirds of people under the age of 35 live at home with their parents. What hope can a disabled person have? What hope can a family paying €3,000 euro on average more a year for their groceries since the cost-of-living crisis began have? It is highly ironic that we all scan our own groceries now because Tesco and the other big chains force us to do so. However, they still charge us the same amount for those groceries. Real incomes have decreased as inflation and the cost of living have risen. Electricity, which every person uses and which should be considered an essential, is being profiteered off.”
“I am sorry; I will clarify. Parents and advocates are asking about three particular issues in this regard. First, they want to know if the Minister has confidence in the clinical lead. Second, which I do not think she referred to either, is she aware of any other devices that have been used in an off-label way - parents have said this - and inserted into children? Third, we all know that it is not the best approach, obviously, for children of this nature to be going abroad. Why is it always that we cannot bring surgeons here or upskill enough and invest enough that the resources and equipment can be available here? It can be very difficult and expensive for children to go abroad in this way.”
“I urge the Minister to ensure that any inquiry is public and is satisfactory for the parents who have been lobbying and campaigning, especially those, like Gillian and Stephen, who have lost a child and continue to campaign on this issue.”
“There are three issues. Does the Minister have confidence in the clinical lead of the paediatric spinal surgery management unit? This is the person who took Harvey Sherratt off the waiting list without parental knowledge or consent. How many other children were taken off the lists in that way? Second, does the Minister have any knowledge of any other medical devices that have been used in an off-label fashion at CHI without parental consent? Third, to refer as she did in a previous answer to the nature of an inquiry, the Minister mentioned that the person leading the inquiry would have a say. I do not really understand that point. The key people who should have a say on this are obviously the people affected.”
“The Tánaiste made an infamous promise to parents in 2017 that nobody would be waiting for a scoliosis operation for more than four months. When are we going to reach that point? It seems that 226 children are on the CHI spinal surgery list. In August, 135 were actively waiting, ready to go. The numbers on the spinal outpatient lists are over 461. The CHI spinal surgery management unit said there are delays of months before children can even be seen. When will this promise be kept?”
“This is October and these people are outside the gates on a hunger strike, and the only thing that will end it is the Minister going out and organising a meeting with them. The Minister knows that. It is not good enough that a few officials went out to meet them. We need to engage with these people and to try to deal with their issues. These people have been failed by the State. An Act was passed here in the summer - I was not in the Dáil at the time - that leaves-----”
“The last thing we need are people on hunger strike outside the gates of Leinster House, especially people who were incarcerated by this State, some of them as children, for 16 years. I cancelled what I had planned to raise today because I met those people - the three women and one man - yesterday. The things they are looking for are so basic it is embarrassing. These include access to the HAA card for medical care - as the Minister will know because it was raised with him earlier and last week too - and a contribution in terms of pension. Some of these people were taken from their homes while their father was outside and literally kidnapped and put inside an institution because of the church. The State was also paying money to these schools. The Minister said earlier that the Minister, Deputy McEntee, had met them in July.”
“We need this urgently in order to avoid more expense and to reduce the life hassle people who work in the airport face in trying to get there.”
“A taxi from Ongar to Dublin Airport costs €50 to €65, for example. That is what passengers are being forced to spend. We could eliminate 10,000 to 20,000 car journeys immediately by introducing a direct bus route. It should be an absolute priority. Residents have suggested that the Minister might consider extending the W4 route to the airport until the N8 is finally rolled out. Realistically, they believe that could take a number of years. Such a decision would allow for typical operational slippages of approximately two years across the BusConnects roll-out. There are 140,000 residents in Dublin 15 and 105,000 in Lucan and Clondalkin who could benefit directly from the extension of this bus service.”
“As the crow flies, it is very close by and yet, as people do not have one direct route, they have to get two buses and travel for an hour and a half to two hours, or even longer for those who are from the Ongar area. Some 20,000 people work in the airport and, as the Minister knows, there is discussion about expanding it but people cannot get there.”
“Fair play to the civil servant who padded out that answer for the Minister because my question was not about BusConnects. Rather, it was about a specific issue. The Minister dealt with that issue in a couple of sentences and the information is very similar. They have been told the project will be delivered in quarter 3 of 2026, which is next year. Given that people have been told it is subject to operational readiness and the recruitment of drivers, realistically no one expects the service to be delivered in 2026. It could take even longer. As for the problems this is causing, some of my constituents have to get up at 4 a.m. to get to the airport. It is something that takes people 15 minutes to drive to at a good time during the early morning or late at night. I have done so myself.”
“I note Fianna Fáil had a meeting on drones in Dundrum. My question relates to a direct bus route from the greater Blanchardstown area to Dublin Airport. Thousands of people work in the airport and many people have to get to it. Recently, Ongar Tidy Towns has been informed by the NTA that the expected roll-out of an N8 service has now been delayed for at least two years.”
“Anything they carve up will not be in the interests of the Palestinian people. It is up to the Palestinian people to decide their fate, not these imperial warlords. I marched against Tony Blair 20 years ago. Kids walked out of the school I taught in 20 years ago to protest a war in Iraq he led illegally that led to hundreds of thousands of deaths. He should not be anywhere near Palestine or the so-called Middle East, which is a colonial phrase in and of itself. The Government should deliver that message on behalf of the Irish people.”
“I want to salute the working class of Italy for waging a general strike this week and blockading arms and other military materials, despite their leader supporting Israel, in effect. There were protests in Spain. In Berlin, 100,000 people protested despite their government's appalling repression of the solidarity movement. Türkiye, Spain, Italy and Greece are also sending drones to watch over the flotilla, but what is the Government doing? There are drones flying burgers over Blanchardstown, but could we not do something to help? I want to mention the peace deal that has been talked about. The trio of some of the world's worst humans is behind that peace deal. Tony Blair is a war criminal. Netanyahu is a war criminal. Trump is a war criminal for funding a genocide. Let us be clear.”
“I want to welcome the families and relatives to the Gallery. They are here because of what is happening in Palestine. Yesterday, a nurse was shot on the job. I have seen kids carrying other kids on their backs. It is a common sight. The worst I saw was a kid carrying a shrouded dead sibling on their back. The fact that governments have allowed this genocide to happen is a stain on the world. This has been an eye-opener for so many people. It has been the most politicised issue of this generation, like Vietnam was for previous generations. People have gone on the flotilla because they see the inaction and inability of the official system to act. We have seen the worst of humanity and the best of humanity. The best of humanity is on the likes of the flotilla, where people have given their time and risked their lives to act.”
“The NFL is a model for how sport has been hijacked for propaganda and profit and playing on grounds that are meant to be amateur and a community space. It is an absolutely rotten sport to be promoted in this country.”
“The NFL is removing “end racism” signs from its grounds. It ended Colin Kaepernick’s career for taking the knee and it has multiple lawsuits for gender, race and age discrimination.”
“Why is the red carpet being rolled out for the NFL in this State this weekend? Why is every second level school in the State being supplied with an American football starter pack and flag for a sport steeped in militarism, racism and macho culture? Why has the Irish Government agreed to fork out €10 million to allow the richest sports league in the world to play a game in Croke Park? This is for NFL owners, by the way, who are collectively worth almost $1 trillion. This is the most jingoistic league in America. It celebrates the military at its games, has men and women marching in uniform, it prays for the Israeli army and it sends players over to the IDF while a genocide is taking place. It has received money from the US army to do so. The Government will say that this will generate a huge amount of income in the future but at what cost?”
“We also need to look at the creation of addiction services because people are addicted to these products and this habit and have no way of getting off them. At least the HSE provides quit-smoking healthcare, etc. We need services for people to quit vaping. There needs to be action now and an end to just talk.”
“Lobbying records show all those companies have lobbied governments around legislation and around not making this restrictive. It is extremely worrying that tobacco companies who lied through their teeth for decades about the effects of smoking on people's health are now involved in this. That should be a major red flag. I will finish up on solutions. Thus far the Government has banned vaping products being sold to under-18s. Unfortunately, 66% of children and young people said they would find it easy to access vaping products so that ban will not be enough. We need to do other things straight away: a ban on disposable vapes, because they are too cheap; the introduction of plain packaging; and a ban on all flavours apart from tobacco, in order to stop this targeting of children and young people.”
“To be clear, the biggest way people quit smoking is by quitting smoking. There is no scientific evidence that more people quit smoking by using vapes than just quit smoking. These things have to be tested out. The literature shows young people who use vapes are at increased risk of anxiety, mood disorders and sleep disturbance. I want to mention the companies that are marketing the vaping industry. Big tobacco has shifted to this industry. Philip Morris is the world's biggest tobacco company and it is looking to make two thirds of its profits from non-smoke products by 2030. BAT, another big tobacco company, wants to be 50% reliant on vapes by 2035. PJ Carroll doubled its profits in 2023 from vaping. The other two major players, JTI Ireland and John Player and Sons, have also moved to vaping products to increase profits.”