Several Cork vape shops being investigated by City Council

Cork City Council has confirmed that it has opened planning enforcement files associated with several vape shops that are subject to ongoing investigations.

It comes as Cork councillors have said that the Taoiseach’s comments regarding addressing the number of vape shops through planning legislation will require changes to the law to allow the council to tackle the issue.

Micheál Martin said this week that local authorities must look at “the multiplicity of vape shops on a given street” and that this could be addressed from a “planning perspective”.

Labour’s Peter Horgan welcomed Mr Martin’s comments.

“We have allowed an industry to develop where brightly coloured, heavily marketed products are placed right in front of young people,” said the city councillor.

Come down harder

In April 2025, Mr Horgan called on the council to come down harder on vape shop displays, many of which, he said, go against the city council’s shopfront policy.

In march of this year he proposed the HSE look into restricting the sale of vaping products to pharmacies.

“Councils cannot do this alone. We need national legislation,” said Mr Horgan.

At the June meeting of Cork City Council, Independent Ireland councillor Noel O’Flynn asked the council to review the increase and clustering of businesses such as vape and phone shops, after he counted 23 on Patrick Street and Oliver Plunkett St alone.

The council’s director of planning and integrated development, Niall Ó Donnabháin, said that, in 2026 so far, 17 enforcement files had been opened, and warning letters had been issued to eight businesses.

However, Mr Ó Donnabháin explained at the time that current planning law only allows the council to have input on shopfronts and signage.

He also pointed out that the law does not differentiate between a vape shop and other types of shops, and that planning permission is not required in order to change from one type of retail shop to another.

Ongoing investigation

Asked about the status of these complaints, Cork City Council told The Echo it had open cases subject to ongoing investigation, but said it “does not comment on open planning enforcement files”.

Mr O’Flynn told The Echo that while he welcomed the Taoiseach’s recent comments, “if the Government wants local authorities to control the proliferation of vape shops, then it must first give them the legal power to do it”.

He added: “The solution cannot simply be passed down to City Hall when the legislation preventing councils from acting is national legislation.”

Councils need a specific provision in national planning legislation allowing a local authority to determine whether a particular retail use is appropriate, taking account of similar businesses already in that area, he said.