Illegal cigarettes made up almost a fifth of the total sold in Ireland in 2023

Mr Donohoe said tax receipts from the sale of tobacco products have been relatively stable at over €1 billion per year — with the successive tax increases each year offsetting the falling sales in the products. File photo

The amount of illegal cigarettes seized last year was worth almost €100 million — almost twice as much as the average seized over the last three years.

Separate figures from surveys of smokers indicate that almost 33 million packs of illegal cigarettes were bought in 2023, representing nearly a fifth of the total cigarette market. It is estimated that the 33 million packs represent a loss to the State of around €422m in excise and VAT.