Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the issue of alcohol abuse, I do not want to get into the arguments about sport sponsorship. They have been well rehearsed in other committees and the public domain and the committee knows where we are going on the issue. We will not ban sponsorship outright, but we will regulate and restrict it and ensure the regulations in law can be enforced because, to be frank, the current codes of conduct are being widely flouted.

The difference between introducing minimum unit pricing and increasing excise duty has been looked at a few times. The problem we have with cheap alcohol is that it might represent below cost selling. We do not know if it is or not because no one knows what the cost is for sure. Some multiples are selling alcohol very cheaply in order to drive footfall. They do not make a profit but make it on the other things people buy when they go into a store. The problem with increasing excise duty is that the multiples could still sell alcohol at a price that is lower the rate of excise duty. For instance, there could be excise duty of €2 on every can of beer, but the multiples could still sell it for €1.50, take the hit and make a profit elsewhere. Minimum unit pricing does not allow this practice. It sets a floor price based on the number of units of alcohol in a product. No matter what the rate of VAT, excise or anything else is, it is the minimum price and it will be an offence to sell it any cheaper. That is why the research indicates it would be more effective than increasing excise duty. That was the finding of the common research carried out in Sheffield which had been commissioned by the two Departments, North and South.

While this is not to say excise duties might not increase, we are convinced that minimum pricing would be the most effective measure.

At the NSMC meeting before last, Ms Michelle O'Neill, MP, MLA, proposed a joint North-South strategy on suicide and we examined it seriously. There are a few difficulties, including the fact that our new strategy is ready and will be published during the next few weeks by the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and we did not want to go back to square one and develop a new strategy. We also found many difference in implementation structures, the availability of services and the way schools and hospitals work. We have a National Office for Suicide Prevention, whereas in the North it is managed through the Public Health Agency. There were too many difference to make it practical. Although we could have put something together, it would have been wishy-washy. We wanted a specific strategy with specific actions and a named person who was going to do them, and we could not do it across the two jurisdictions. We did agree to co-operate in areas where it made sense, for example research, evaluation of the effectiveness of policies, awareness campaigns which could be similar on both sides of the Border and sharing and learning good practice. While there will be a North-South dimension to the new strategy, it will not be a single strategy.

I will look into the issue of the child psychologist in County Louth. I am not sure whether the issue is lack of funding for the post or that they cannot recruit.