Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2023
1824. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will support the allocation of more funding towards targeted QUIT campaigns and support initiatives towards populations most likely to smoke; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38781/23]
View answerFunding for cessation services provided by the HSE has increased from €11.8 million in 2017 to €15.7 million in 2022. There was an investment of €2 million in the Quit Campaign in 2022. In 2022, 49 We Can Quit courses were run, 35 of which were rolled out through Sláintecare Healthy Communities ensuring local access in areas where health and wellbeing risk factors are particularly concentrated.
In February 2023, the HSE announced the rollout of free stop smoking medication such as nicotine replacement therapy for anyone who engages with their smoking cessation services. The combination of behavioural support such as that provided by the HSE QUIT programme, and pharmacological support has been found to be the most effective way of enabling people to stop smoking.
The National Stop Smoking Clinical Guidelines (Guideline No. 28) were published in 2022. These guidelines define best practice and provide a special focus on women who are pregnant and users of secondary mental health services.
Other cessation measures have been implemented in addition to those available from the HSE in recent times. As part of Budget 2023, Government removed VAT on all nicotine replacement therapies thus reducing the cost of these products to people who wish to stop smoking. I have also recently agreed that nicotine replacement therapies should be included in the Drug Payment Scheme and to remove the two week limit that applied to first prescriptions of these therapies.
I continue to examine all possible options to expand the supports available to those who wish to quit smoking.
