Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join colleagues in calling for an update from the Minister of State with responsibility for primary care, Deputy White, on the progress of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill in light of the "neknomination" craze of the past week or ten days. I join in extending sympathy to two families who have been bereaved as a result of it. Many people have been very quick to criticise and blame Facebook for this but I will not do so. We cannot blame technology. As a society, we need to examine seriously our relationship with alcohol and start to promote a much more responsible attitude to alcohol consumption. It is frightening to think that 1,000 people per year - three times as many as are being killed on our roads - die as a result of alcohol abuse. A total of 2,000 beds in our acute hospitals are being occupied every night by people with alcohol-related problems. I saw some figures from a survey conducted recently across Europe on drinking habits among young people as young as 15 or 16. It showed that young people in Ireland consume 30% more than the EU average. In that study, Irish students reported that in the 30 days prior to the survey, 48% of them had consumed alcohol, 40% had more than five drinks in a single drinking session and 23% had one or more episodes of drunkenness. We have a major issue to confront as a society. I hope that the legislation will address issues such as pricing, structural separation in supermarkets to make it less enticing or convenient for people to purchase alcohol, sponsorship and marketing. The lost cost of alcohol has already been referred to in the House today.

In light of all that has been said about the lack of business to be conducted in the House over the next week or so, we should set aside several hours in the next weeks to address this critical issue of national importance confronting many families across this country.