Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I again raise with the Leader the need for an urgent debate on the consumption of alcohol in this country. The research yesterday which blamed alcohol for 6,500 deaths over a five-year period illustrates the seriousness of the alcohol crisis. The Leader knows well that I have raised the point in this House previously. When are we going to learn that we have a national epidemic and crisis with alcoholism which we cannot handle? Senator Quinn is correct in saying the image of Ireland abroad as a beer-swilling nation is wrong and we should dissuade people of that notion. To do that we must have a holistic debate on the consumption of alcohol. Senator Regan is correct in saying the voluntary code has not worked. We must consider sports sponsorship, perhaps the advertising ban and, more importantly, we need to include alcohol as part of the national drugs strategy which is enforced.

I call on the Leader to arrange a debate with the Minister for Health and Children on child care. The report yesterday from the Health Service Executive revealed a total of 23,268 reports of child abuse, neglect and welfare concerns. What is more startling is that approximately 8,000 cases, 35%, were not investigated. If we cherish children then this sends the wrong message. This is a message the HSE and all of us collectively must tackle. We must debate the issue in this House.

What is more worrying is that in the four local health offices in Cork, 26% of cases were only assessed, which means that in 74% of cases there was no initial assessment. What are we saying to our children and the people of Cork? Are we serious about protecting children or are we only paying lip service? If we are serious then we need to have a debate followed by political action and the employment of out-of-hours social workers. We must put the full apparatus of the State behind this operation. Otherwise, we are failing our children.