Cork City Council opens planning enforcements against a number of vape shops in the city
Cork City Council has launched planning enforcement against vape shops, but councillors say national law changes are needed to effectively curb their proliferation.Summary
Cork City Council has opened planning enforcement files against several vape shops as part of ongoing investigations into their proliferation in the city centre. Local councillors, including Labour's Peter Horgan and Independent Ireland's Noel O'Flynn, have welcomed the Taoiseach's recent call to use planning legislation to tackle the issue, with O'Flynn noting the clustering of 23 vape and phone shops on key streets. However, they stress that current planning law is insufficient, as it only regulates shopfronts and signage and does not require permission for a business to change its retail type. The council's planning director, Niall Ó Donnabháin, confirmed 17 enforcement files and eight warning letters had been issued in 2026. All councillors agree that national legislative reform is required to grant councils the specific power to assess the appropriateness of a retail use, considering the existing mix of businesses in an area.
(Source：Irish Examiner)
