Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 October 2014
136. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 17 of 16 October 2014 the impact the recent US Chamber of Commerce complaint regarding Ireland's public policy lodged with the European Commission will have on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism attached to the agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40734/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014 is a public health measure, the objective of which is to make all tobacco packs look less attractive to consumers, to make health warnings more prominent, and to prevent packaging from misleading consumers about the harmful effects of tobacco.
Standardised packaging of tobacco products, also known as generic packaging, means that all forms of branding – trademarks, logos, colours and graphics – would be removed, except for the brand and variant names, which would be presented in a uniform typeface for all brands on the market. All packs would be in a plain neutral colour, except for the mandatory health warnings.
Standardised packaging forms the latest strand of a comprehensive range of tobacco control legislation already in place in Ireland aimed at decreasing tobacco consumption in this country.
The response to Parliamentary Question No. 17 of 16 October 2014 set out the situation in relation to TTIP.
