Councillor urges tighter planning rules as 21 vape shops surround Cork school

A school in County Cork is currently surrounded by 21 vape shops, and there is no provision in current planning law to prevent further outlets from opening nearby, Labour Party councillor Peter Horgan said.

Horgan, who chairs the Regional Health Forum for the South West, told The Claire Byrne Show that the issue has been under investigation by the cross‑party forum for the past two years. He noted that a 2024 report found 77 % of schools in the area had a nicotine or vaping retailer adjacent to them.

Under the Nicotine Inhaling Products Act 2023, the HSE must approve licences for shops selling vaping and other nicotine products. Horgan said that in 2025 a total of 5,310 licences were granted in Ireland, including 811 for nicotine‑only products and 3,600 for both tobacco and nicotine. In Cork and Kerry, 772 licences covering both categories were issued, and none were refused last year.

The councillor highlighted the lack of geographic mapping of licences, allowing new shops to open side‑by‑side without restriction. He contrasted this with existing planning rules that limit the number of off‑licences in a given area.

Horgan said he will seek to incorporate specific wording into upcoming development plans to curb the proliferation of vape shops near schools, though he was told that national legislation limits local authority powers.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: Lauren Boswell / Pexels.