Retailers across Carlow and Kilkenny will be required to pay an annual licence fee in order to sell cigarettes and vapes.
The annual licence fee is set at €1,000 for the sale of tobacco products and €800 for the sale of nicotine inhaling products.
Junior Health Minister Jennifer Murnane O’Connor says it is a major change to the system.
“If you sold cigarettes or if you sold vapes, you paid a once-off fee of 50 euro, that’s all going to change now.” said Minister Murnane O’Connor.
“There’s going to be a levy coming in for every shop, every year, from the middle of, I think, July or August.”
“There was a phase-in, so they’re running it officially started from the 2nd of February and it runs for six months for the lead in, but you now have to have a license every
year to stock cigarettes and vapes.” she added.
