Nitrous oxide crackdown bill moves forward after nine-month delay

A bill to regulate the sale of nitrous oxide has been progressed to the third of five stages on the way to becoming law, following a nine-month delay.

The Sale of Nitrous Oxide and Related Products Bill 2025 will now progress to committee stage in the coming weeks for detailed scrutiny after Government had placed a pause on its progress in favour of a review.

A committee is now set to examine the bill and potentially put forward amendments to the bill as it is currently.

Following this, any amendments that may arise will be discussed in the report stage before it is reviewed for a final time in the Dáil and then the decision to accept it and have the other house, the Seanad review it is made.

Dublin Mid-West TD Mark Ward said he was “happy” to see the bill move closer to becoming law.

Deputy Ward said: “I am happy to see movement on my legislation to regulate the sale of nitrous oxide.

“Government needlessly delayed this legislation without providing any solutions themselves.

“We have seen several headlines of the impacts that misuse of nitrous oxide causes, including an increase in massive increases of presentations to hospitals.

“We have also seen an increase in canisters being collected by local authorities and being found across the state.”

200 canisters were picked up during a clean-up across the local community in August that included residential areas, green spaces and roadsides.

Nitrous oxide-related presentation figures at Tallaght University Hospital have risen by 700 per cent in the last six years.

18 youths were diagnosed with a neurological disorder at the hospital linked to laughing gas inhalation during a 21-month period, and a study published in December 2025 compared diagnoses.

The study by Redmond et al. and published in the Irish Journal of Medical Science states: “Eighteen patients were identified. The most common presenting symptom was paraesthesia followed by limb weakness and gait impairment.

“All patients reported heavy use of inhaled nitrous oxide.”

Deputy Ward stated that a working group to address the availability and use of synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids, nitrous oxide and other emerging psychoactive substances that may pose risks to public health and community safety has been set up.

Minister of State at the Department of Health Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD will lead this working group.

Deputy Ward called for “no more delays” and cross-party support” to ensure that the bill passes through at pace, and recalled a previous meeting with the working group lead.

“I would like to remind Minister Murnane O’Connor that I offered to give her my legislation last year as an early Christmas present when I debated with her in December on RTÉ Prime Time.

“Just over a month later, she and her Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael colleagues voted to delay it.

“There can be no more delays on this legislation. I am looking for cross party support to ensure that this bill can progress as quickly as possible.”