The introduction of much larger health warnings on cigarette packs sold in this country has moved a step closer.

The Cabinet has approved the heads of the Bill that will make it mandatory for tobacco products to be sold in standardised packaging.

The Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2013 will ensure that tobacco packaging contains increased health warnings.

It will also reduce the ability of tobacco manufacturers to promote their product. Specifically, the Bill will outlaw forms of branding, such as logos, trademarks and graphics, from appearing on cigarette packs and ‘roll-your-own' packs.

The brand name will appear in the same typeface for all brands and every pack will be one neutral colour. The health warnings meanwhile will be selected from a library of graphic images and warnings developed by the European Commission for member states.

According to Health Minister, Dr James Reilly, cigarette packs are ‘the last billboard for the tobacco industry'.

"This legislation will force the industry to show with greater clarity, the potential devastating effects of smoking on health. As it stands the tobacco companies use packets of various shapes and colours to attract young people to take up the killer habit. Standardised packaging - all the one type - with much larger warnings will be a deterrent,"he insisted.

He pointed out that over 5,000 Irish people die every year as a result of smoking-related illnesses.

"Fortunately many others give up but this means the tobacco industry must recruit many new addicts each year. There is a wealth of international evidence on the effects of tobacco packaging in general and on perceptions and reactions to standardised packaging which support the introduction of this measure," he added.