Mary Ann O'Brien (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegation from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland, Mr. Peter O'Brien, Ms Marie Byrne and Mr. Willie Masterson, for making this very good presentation. I echo Senator Mooney's closing words as I too admire the industry that creates economic benefits, employment and growth in the country. I love wine and a glass of whiskey but as a member of the Oireachtas, we are all in the same boat and see the consequence of alcohol abuse in Ireland. I wish that Senator John Crown was present because he is an expert in this area. We have a cultural problem with alcohol that is a major health and economic problem. The freshmen who will enter university at the end of the summer are late teenagers, basically just out of childhood, are pursued by branded drinks companies on social media to avail of cheap drink and cheap nights out and to become immersed in whatever brand is pursuing them.

I know from my children of 18 and 20 years that the latest fad is the pre-drinking culture. I am appalled at how cheap beer is in the supermarket. The youngsters can buy beer and then go to the flat or apartment to drink it before continuing on to the cheap night out and only need to have one drink because they have already consumed it. This is a significant risk for young people. Young people face being exported because they are living in a joblessness state, and are also at risk because of the issue with alcohol. I would have agreed with Deputy Heydon about sponsorship of sport. The reality is that the 12 year old boy who is brought to a big rugby final or other sporting event, is wearing the green jersey with the name of the beer on it and sees his sporting heroes, who probably do not drink, but part of their contract is to have a glass or a bottle of the beer in their hand after they have won the match, is getting a subliminal message. It is like McDonald's in that it is subliminal advertising that will link that child to alcohol. I am not so sure that drinks companies should be sponsoring sport. Some 20 years ago in Australia they banned all alcohol sponsorship of sport. They also increased the taxation on alcohol and invested the yield from that tax in sponsoring the sport.

I have great admiration for Ms Byrne's distillery. I have a constituent, Bernard Walsh, who is building a distillery in Carlow. He is another super entrepreneur. Thank God for the rate of corporation tax in Ireland because I know from Mr. Walsh that one must wait a long time for the product and I admire Ms Byrne for being able to wait and to have to spend so much money before she gets the rewards. Exports will generate the rewards.

I was taken with the point that one can buy a bottle of Jameson in New York for $16 while it is more expensive to buy it in Ireland. That is absolutely ridiculous. Perhaps we could consider introducing a tax rebate at the airport for tourists, so that we ensure that tourists can buy Ms Byrne's whiskey at the best price possible.

Suicide in this country is at an all time high. Half of the suicides are a result of alcohol. St. Vincent's Hospital, which is the main centre for liver disease, has had a 335% increase in admissions since 1995. One in four accident and emergency admissions is related to alcohol. One in four brain trauma admissions is related to alcohol. We have a problem. I admire the drinks industry but could we join together with the drinks industry to help our culture recover and get back on a steady track so that we are not affecting our young people's health. As Deputy Pringle said, we would also raise money to reinvest in the health service and educate people to drink properly in the future.