The Associate Health Minister says her spat with health officials is an irrelevant distraction

Ministry of Health staff criticised Casey Costello in an email - over her move to scrap smokefree regulations and cut tax on heated tobacco products.

Costello responded by questioning their professionalism, and the Director General of Health apologised.

She says she's committed to reducing smoking, but the situation has been difficult, and received too much unneeded attention and noise.