The Government has decided to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products, which means Ireland will be the first country in the EU to introduce this anti-smoking measure.

Health Minister James Reilly has announced that the Government today approved the publication of legislation to introduce plain packaging.

Minister Reilly originally announced a year ago that the process to introduce in plain packaging for tobacco products had begun - however, there has been strong lobbying against the measure from the tobacco industry.

He said as a result of the Government's decision to legislate on the issue, Ireland will be the first country in the EU to introduce such legislation and the third country worldwide.

"Australia introduced plain packaging legislation in November 2011 and the New Zealand Bill had its first reading in Parliament on February 11 this year. I understand that other EU countries are also considering such legislation," Dr Reilly said.

"This represents a significant step forward in our tobacco control policy and our goal of being a smoke free country by 2025".

When enacted the Bill approved today will control the design and appearance of cigarette and other tobacco products. It will remove all forms of branding including trademarks, logo, colours and graphics from packs, except for the brand and variant name which will be presented in a uniform typeface.

The objective of the Bill is to make tobacco packs look less attractive to consumers, to make health warnings more prominent and to reduce the ability of the packs to mislead people, especially children about the harmful effects of smoking.

The Minister said approximately 5,200 Irish people die each year from diseases caused by smoking.

"These are all preventable, avoidable deaths. Given all we know about the dangers of smoking, it is not acceptable to allow the tobacco industry to use deceptive marketing gimmicks to lure our children into this deadly addiction and to deceive current smokers about the impact of their addiction."

Cigarette packets will no longer be a mobile advertisement for the tobacco industry, Dr Reilly said.

The plain packaging move has been welcomed by the Irish Cancer Society, which said it was 'a landmark day for public health in Ireland'.

"The publication of the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014 will eliminate the last marketing tool of the tobacco industry and discourage young people from taking up the habit that kills 5,200 Irish people every year", the Society said.

"Ten years on from the workplace smoking ban, Ireland will once again be taking a massive step to improving public health, said Kathleen O'Meara, Head of Advocacy & Communications.