I want to raise the issue of vaping and the proliferation of vape shops that are popping up right across our main urban areas in County Wexford. I am not against vaping for adults. I recognise it is something that quite a considerable number of people are engaging in. However, I am speaking about the direct targeting of young children and teenagers under the age of 18 through flashy, cartoon-style advertisements across our main urban streets, particularly on the main streets of towns like Enniscorthy, New Ross and Wexford.

There is a deliberate attempt by these shopfront owners using flashy neon lighting to attract and sell vapes to children so that when they are walking down the main street, their eyes are caught by these shiny bright lights outside of these vape shops. It is something we need to have the Minister for planning come in on. We need clear national guidance on what a shopfront for a vape shop can be, how vape shops can market themselves and particularly about how many vape shops can be on one main street within a proximate location to schools or a proximate location where young people are hanging out. To be clear, I am not against vaping and am not looking for a ban on vaping. I am not against vapes being sold to over-18s but given the proliferation of these shops and how many are starting to come, their frontal design with neon lights and all that goes with it, we need clear national guidelines and, if necessary, legislation in this area.

I fully agree with Senator Byrne. I note that, in Australia, vaping is illegal except if you have a prescription. As a result, the amount of vaping in Australia is among the lowest in the world. It is not good for you and it is not healthy.

Hear, hear.

Senator Byrne's point on the proliferation of these awful-looking shops the length and breadth of the country was well made. I note in Ennis how a fantastic music shop that we all grew up with is now a vape shop. We need to address this. Perhaps we could have a debate on it at some stage.

Today, the HSE was at the health committee on the matter of vaccines. One of the issues discussed was the misinformation that seemed to be proliferating on social media about vaccines. Last week, I spoke about the treatment of Senator Flynn by the social media platforms and by individuals on those platforms who were let away with it by them. We are a country that prides itself as being at the cutting edge of tech. Nine of the ten leading tech companies in the world have their European headquarters here in Ireland. We should be the solution, and be finding the solution, to this hate speech and misinformation on social media. We have the ability in this country and the intelligence. We have the technological expertise to find a way. We should not be looking to Europe, the United States or other countries to resolve this problem. This problem is one that we can find the solution to. I do not have the solution because I am not a tech expert but the expertise is in this country because we have created so much in the tech world over the years. I urge that some sort of a structure or formula be found whereby we can channel the expertise and the experts in technology in this country to find a solution to these awful problems.