Professor Joe Barry:

There are a few themes coming through. It is important to say we welcome the thrust of this legislation because it is in a wider World Health Organization framework. The one area of alcohol legislation on which this country has worked successfully is drink driving, and one can see the immediate effect that has had. While education is important, regulation is required for certain things. The reason drink driving has dropped is because of regulation. I listened to the committee's live stream from Tuesday and it was mentioned why structural separation did not come in. It was because interests lobbied a former Minister for Justice and Equality. Comments were made about the Department of Justice and Equality with which I would agree. We have sleepwalked into a situation where alcohol is way too available. When we were all growing up, one bought alcohol in a pub. After a while off-licences came into being, but now alcohol is everywhere. Specialist off-licences and pubs are not the issue; mixed trading stores are the issue. I agree with Senator Henry that the interests will not want change and they will raise the costs issue, as was raised this morning. If we are interested in dealing with the health and safety of our population, and not just children because adults also have a problem with drink, then structural separation is required.