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Trade

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Economy
Enacted

Health (Provision of Contraception Prescribing Service in Retail Pharmacy Businesses) Bill 2026

The measure would let certain retail pharmacies offer a new prescription service for contraception, so registered pharmacists could issue prescriptions for specified contraceptive medicines and products under agreed clinical rules. It would also extend the Free Contraception Scheme to this pharmacy service, so eligible women could get it free, while also allowing private patients aged 17 to 55 who are not eligible for the scheme to use it for a fee. It matters because it should make renewing contraception prescriptions quicker, more convenient, and cheaper for many people.
Enacted

Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2026

The bill would ban goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory from being imported into Ireland, and make doing so an offence under customs law. It also lets the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade name the relevant postal codes, with some goods from mixed-area postcodes able to be checked for exemption if they are proven to come from the Israeli part. It matters because it is meant to align Irish trade rules with international legal obligations and to back enforcement through customs powers, searches, seizures and appeals.
Enacted

Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025

The main change is to ban the sale of single-use vapes in Ireland, whether or not they contain nicotine. It gives officials powers to enforce the ban, sets out penalties for breaking it, and creates a short six-month grace period after the law starts before the ban fully applies.
Dáil

Aughinish Alumina and Russia

Cian O'Callaghan accused the Government of fudging the Aughinish Alumina report and allowing exports that may feed Russia’s war machine. The Tánaiste restated Ireland’s support for Ukraine and argued the facts should first be established and sent to the European Commission.
Current

Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Bill 2026

The measure tightens rules on nicotine products, especially vapes and similar items, by controlling how they look and are packaged, limiting the flavour names they can use, and restricting where they can be advertised or displayed. It also makes it an offence to sell nicotine consumption products to children, extends enforcement powers to cover these products, and adds stronger tools for inspections, notices, seizures and penalties.
Current

Equal Status (Access to Toilet Facilities) Bill 2026

People with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, other bowel conditions, or an ostomy device would have a legal right to use staff-only toilets in retail shops that do not offer customer toilets, if the shop has enough staff on duty and there is no immediate health, safety or security risk. They would need to show approved proof of their condition, which could include a phone app or card approved by the Minister for Health. If a retailer refuses without good reason, it would count as disability discrimination under the Equal Status Acts, giving the person a route to make a complaint or seek redress.