The new price of a pack of cigarettes as Budget 2023…

The new price of a pack of cigarettes as Budget 2023 confirms unwelcome change for smokers

Budget 2023 has finally been delivered and there’s plenty of good news for almost everyone in Ireland.

But one group has been hardest hit, with an unwelcome change confirmed for smokers. The price of cigarettes will rise once again, with an extra 50 cent to be slapped on a pack of 20.

This will bring the price of a pack of 20 up to €15.50, while other tobacco products will also see a pro-rata increase. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe explained that he was working with public health to try and reduce the prevalence of smoking in Irish society.

Responding to the 50c increase in the price of cigarettes, John Mallon, spokesman for the smokers' lobby group Forest Ireland, said: "Targeting smokers, many of whom are on the lowest incomes, with yet another tax hike is unforgivable, especially during a cost of living crisis.

"A 50c increase will push the cost of cigarettes to around €15.80 for a premium pack and €13.80 for an average pack.

“More smokers will buy tobacco on the black market and that will lead to more smuggling and an inevitable loss of revenue for the government.”

Minister Donohoe delivered Budget 2023 in a joint announcement with Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath in the Dail this afternoon.

The Fine Gael TD said: "If you are an older person, you are having to spend more of your pension on heating your home; if you are looking after a family, you are facing higher grocery bills; if you are running a small business, you are trying to cope with increases in the cost of energy," he added.

"This is why, Budget 2023, presented by Minister (Michael) McGrath and I today, is and must be a cost-of-living budget, focused on helping individuals, families and businesses to deal with rising prices.

"The onset of the war in Ukraine has sent shockwaves throughout the global economy. This shock is most clearly evident in energy and commodity markets, where prices surged at the onset of the war and have remained high.

"The inflationary pressures from energy have been further compounded by the imbalance between demand and supply that emerged as the economy reopened at the start of the year.

"Consumers released substantial pent-up demand as restrictions were eased, while supply chain bottlenecks prevented firms from keeping up with that demand."