Mr. Peter O'Brien:

I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to address the committee today to consider the sponsorship of major sporting events by the drinks industry. The organisation we represent, the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland, DIGI, is the wider representative body for the drinks industry in Ireland. Membership includes manufacturers, distributors, pubs, hotels, restaurants and the independent off-licence sector. It is an important sector of the Irish economy contributing over €2 billion in taxation revenue per annum, supporting over 62,000 local jobs and it is responsible for €2.8 billion worth of purchases per annum. Our quality brands are exported throughout the world contributing over €1 billion in exports. We are proud of the high-quality, premium brands we produce.

The drinks sector plays an important role in Irish tourism by being part of the positive image of Ireland abroad and through developing many of the now iconic tourist attractions, such as the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin and the Middleton Distillery in Cork. They are now the largest paid tourist attractions in Ireland. Last year they welcomed in the region of 1.5 million visitors through their doors. The Irish pub is consistently cited as one of the main attractions by tourists. The most recent edition of Lonely Planet, one of the world's best-selling travel guides, has ranked going to a pub as the greatest experience a tourist can have in Ireland.

DIGI is committed to promoting our industry and to advocating policies that allow for its sustainable development. I emphasise that the misuse of alcohol is not in the interests of our industry or its sustainable development. It damages our members, brands and the societies in which we operate. We are very clear that we want to work with the Oireachtas, the Government, policymakers and professionals to identify and implement measures which reduce misuse. We are also clear that we do not want to see measures introduced, albeit with the best intentions, that do not reduce misuse but that simply damage an important indigenous Irish industry.

I will outline why we believe long-term educational measures, as opposed to eye-catching but ineffectual bans, are the way forward. Before we move to the solutions and measures, let us identify clearly what the problem is. Alcohol misuse must not get confused with alcohol use. Used responsibly and in moderation, alcohol is part of a healthy lifestyle. There is often a perception put forward that somehow alcohol misuse is increasing in Ireland. For example, committee members were told last week that Ireland had a runaway drinking culture. It simply does not. Alcohol consumption in this country has fallen by over 19% in the past ten years and is fast approaching European norms. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs state of the nation's children report shows that the number of young people stating they have never had an alcoholic drink has increased by 35% in the past eight years. The recent UNICEF report found the percentage of young people who reported having been drunk on more than two occasions has fallen in Ireland and in a detailed survey of 29 countries, Ireland is at average levels.

While weakness in the domestic economy and the continued pressure on discretionary income are clearly having a negative impact on the drinks industry, there has been a substantial societal shift in many areas leading to reduced alcohol consumption. We began to see significant declines in overall alcohol consumption in the years before the recession hit.