Dr. Geoffrey Shannon:

I think the Chairman has raised an important point. I do not think society really appreciates this issue. If our social workers cannot appreciate it, there is a great deal of work to be done. It comes back to the broader societal issue. I am conscious, having listened to the Chairman, that some people hear this argument and do not need any further convincing. I am suggesting we start by targeting alcohol sponsorship of sporting events in order to send a message from a very senior level of Government that this problem is having a corrosive and devastating impact on families and is costing the State substantial sums of money. I sympathise with the Minister for Health as he tries to find money to fund all of the various services. We have spoken about early intervention. I suggest that my proposal would be an early intervention strategy. The Government would be saying "we are not willing to take your money". When society abuses alcohol, the pressure placed on our child protection system is insufferable. We end up paying for it in our child protection system. I have characterised my real worry in this regard in my report. When we fail to appreciate alcohol as a risk indicator, our child protection system is placed under pressure and has to deal with insurmountable consequences, as we have seen.