A Fine Gael TD is calling for the age limit to buy tobacco to be raised to 21 years of age.
Colm Burke has called for the change in order to help Ireland meet its public health target of a less-than-5 percent smoking rate by 2025.
The Royal College of Physicians had previously said in a report that smoking is a contributory factor in 4,500 deaths each year.
Mr. Burke says more needs to be done to continue downward trends in smoking:
