Legislation to raise the minimum age to legally buy tobacco products to 21 years old is to be approved by the Government.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is bringing a memo with the final landmark legislation for approval from the Cabinet.
Mr Donnelly said Ireland has "done well on reducing the smoking rates over many years."
However, he said while the smoking rate has come down, it has plateaued over the last number of years.
Speaking on his way into the Cabinet meeting, Mr Donnelly said he is "particularly concerned about teenagers and children who are smoking".
"We've had a big move on vaping and we've more legislation coming there but we want to continue to see the smoking rates come down and by moving the smoking age to 21, we know from other countries abroad that it works and we know from the research that it can have a big effect really on two groups."
He said for people aged 18, 19 and 20, the Government would expect to see the smoking rate go down when the new law is introduced, but he said "probably more importantly what we're looking to see, is a reduction in the smoking rate for 15, 16 and 17 year olds because actually over the last two to four years, since Covid, we've seen a very small increase in the rate of smoking for that age group."
The Public Health Tobacco Amendment Bill 2024 is expected to go before the Oireachtas before the summer recess.
While the smoking rate had fallen, the rate has plateaued in recent years and 18% of adults currently smoke.
Raising the minimum legal age of the sale of tobacco products is expected to lead to a significant reduction in smoking prevalence.
Data shows that the ages between 18 and 21 years old are a time of high risk for becoming a smoker.
The Government believes this increase will limit the social sources of cigarettes for children and young people under 18 years old as they will be less likely to be in social groups with people who can legally purchase cigarettes.
The bill is designed to avoid affecting those who are between the ages of 18 and 21 and who are currently legally entitled to be sold tobacco products.
The prohibition on the retail sale of tobacco products will not apply to this cohort for a "wash through" period.
The proposed legislation will not impact the minimum legal age of sale of nicotine-inhaling products or vapes.
Since December, the sale of vapes to under 18s has been banned. There is currently no proposal to extend this ban to the age of 21.
Health officials have said smoking causes 13% of all cancers and contributes to many preventable illnesses including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, eye diseases, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
It is also responsible for 5% of hospital inpatient admissions, while the financial loss caused by smoking is estimated at €10.6 billion annually.
The Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association of Ireland has urged the Minister for Health to ensure that retailers are engaged in a meaningful series of discussions on how the new age limit is implemented and phased in.
"I want to stress that we are not opposed to raising the age but are concerned that hidden, unforeseen aspects have not been considered," Vincent Jennings, the CEO of CSNA, said.
Mr Jennings said the added complexity in staff training will cause possible disciplinary issues for breaches, yet the Work Relations Commission have never affirmed the right of an employer to dismiss a worker that breaches age policies.
"The State wants us to act in a particular way, yet when we seek to affirm this, we find ourselves having to (unsuccessfully) defend unfair dismissal cases," he added.
Additional reporting Fergal O'Brien
