Latest news with #ColmBurke
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Warning as sale of disposable vapes comes into effect TODAY in Northern Ireland – as alert issued to drivers who vape
A BAN on the sale and supply of disposable vapes kicks off in Northern Ireland today. Only reusable vapes will be sold from June 1 with the government crackdown aimed at preventing youths from picking up the habit and protecting the environment. 3 Disposable vapes can no longer supplied or sold in Northern Ireland Credit: Getty Images - Getty 3 An alert has also been issued to drivers who vape Credit: Getty Images - Getty The Irish TD Colm Burke welcomed the approval from the Government to draft legislation on the ban last year. He said: 'Our young people are exposed to nicotine inhaling products in retail environments with bright and colourful packaging and a variety of flavours. 'Single-use READ MORE ON HEALTH 'I believe that these measures will contribute to the better health and wellbeing of our youth, and I look forward to working with Minister Donnelly on the development of this legislation.' Minister Ossian Smyth added: 'Single-use vapes are a challenge in the context of waste management and are a wasteful use of critical raw materials. 'They are also very damaging to the environment when discarded as litter.' Some 46 per cent of 17-18 year-olds (year 14 Most read in The Irish Sun Strategic Lead for Tobacco Control with the PHA, Colette Rogers, said: 'The accessibility and low price of single use vapes have played a part in increasing their availability and shareability among young people, so the ban on these types of devices is an opportunity to address the concerning levels of vaping among teenagers. 'The new law means that products will only be compliant if they are refillable and rechargeable. Police raid largest spice vapes operation after kids were left hospitalised 'We welcome this and hope it reduces the number of vapes in active use, and are asking parents and carers to use it as an opportunity to discourage The Irish Heart Foundation has called on the government to ban the 'import, manufacture, and sale of single-use or disposable vapes'. The charity wants to see a ban introduced on all vape flavours, except tobacco flavour. They are calling for a complete ban on all forms of vape advertisements, including Point-of-Sale (POS) and online. The group are asking the government to introduce plain packaging for vapes and stop the online sale of vapes. They are also calling to increase the legal age of sale of all forms of e-cigarettes to 21. Car insurance expert and Managing Director of CompareNI, Ian Wilson, warned drivers of the dangers of using refillable vapes behind the wheel as the ban kicks in. He said: 'For anyone who plans on switching over to reusable vapes after the ban comes into force, you should be aware that using these devices while driving could see you end up on the wrong side of the law. 'Reusable vapes are more powerful than single use vapes and produce a much larger and denser cloud of vaper. These thicker clouds can fog up the windscreen and block your vision, posing a danger to yourself and other road users. 'Also, these devices tend to be larger and heavier than disposable vapes, so handling them, adjusting the controls or refilling the liquid when behind the wheel can divert your attention away from the road and may lead to serious consequences. 'If you are involved in an accident and the police deem that vaping was a contributing factor, you could be charged with careless driving and face a fine of up to £5,000 (€5,930) and nine penalty points – or even a discretionary driving ban.' 3 Disposable vapes have now been banned from the shelves of all shops in NI Credit: Jacob King/PA Wire
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Ireland facing dentist shortage as training places stagnate for nearly 30 years
The number of college training places for dentists has remained the same for almost three decades despite a major recruitment crisis and severe backlogs in parts of the country. That is according to Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central Colm Burke, who has called for increased college places. Each year, there is huge interest in studying dentistry, with college course entry determined by exceptionally high CAO points. However, despite major increases in the population, the number of dental school places has failed to increase significantly. International students from outside of the EU also make up a high percentage of those studying dentistry here. In the Dáil, Mr Burke said there were 1,432 dentists offering to provide dental care under the public scheme in 2012. By 2024, this had fallen to 810. "Going back 30 or 40 years, most older people tended to have dentures. That has now totally changed so there are now more older people who require dental treatment as well." The Department of Health has acknowledged that there are 2,420 dentists in the country, Mr Burke said. "That is 47 dentists per 100,000 people or one dentist per 2,125 people." 'We need to forward plan,' he added. Even if, in the morning, we decided to increase the number of places, it would still take five years before the students would be out there. In University College Cork, there are currently 61 final year students of which 36 are non-EU students, he said. At Trinity College Dublin, there are 46 final year students, of which 21 are non-EU students. He added: "We need to decrease the number of non-EU students and increase the number of Irish and other EU students. 'We do not have to put extra money into it, except to replace the money the colleges are getting from non-EU students with money from the department so we can improve and increase the number of training places available.' The Irish Dental Association has suggested to decrease the number of non-EU students to 20%, he added. 'It did not say to cut them out completely, but to reduce the number. 'We were to build a new dental school in Cork, we had identified a site, we got the planning permission, funding was not available, and the whole project was abandoned. "Now we are in a scenario where we have population growth, people are living longer, and we do not have the dentists to look after them.' In response, minister of State Marian Harkin said approximately 60 places were available each year to students on dentistry courses until this year. "The department recognises that this represents a limited training pipeline at a time when the demand for oral healthcare, both clinical and preventative, is increasing nationally." The number of places offered is a matter for the higher education institutions, she added. However, due to a high level of practical work, there can be constraints on the number of students that can be accepted onto dentistry courses, she said. The Department of Health is conducting a scoping exercise to support a skills assessment across the oral healthcare sector.
