Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will address amendments Nos. 9, 12 and 14. The amendments to sections 12(1), 12(4) and 12(5) propose that the health warning and the information required on the label of alcohol products and notices in licensed premises and on websites where alcohol products are sold should be in both English and Irish.

I am conscious that to achieve the objective of the Bill the provisions must be workable. A balance must be maintained between what is beneficial to the health of the consumer and the obligation placed on commercial operators. It is also important that the health information being provided on the label clearly conveys the message to the consumer.

In August 2015 research was commissioned by Amarach Research on alcohol labelling to provide recommendations on labelling of alcohol products and on communicating critical information regarding the health and social risk of drinking alcohol. The research found that the inclusion of messaging in the Irish language served to confuse the message. The health warning and information required under this section provides a unique opportunity to communicate health promotion messages directly to consumers. This is the first time that such information will be provided to the Irish consumer. I want to maximise the impact for the amount of space usable on the label.

The case of tobacco warnings as a result of an EU directive that require the warning to be in all languages of countries does not apply. I have before me the report from Amarach Research on alcohol labelling – all 200 pages of it. It is available for any member of the committee who seeks a copy. I do not propose to accept the amendment.