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

I am responding to amendments Nos. 10, 13, 15 and 19 to 25, inclusive. Opposition amendments Nos. 10, 13 and 20 propose the removal of the amendments to the labelling and advertising provisions made in Seanad Éireann which inserted a warning on the direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers. Amendment No. 10 proposes to remove this warning from the labels of products. Amendment No. 13 proposes its removal from the notice on licensed premises and amendment No. 20 proposes to remove the warning from advertisements.

At the time of the introduction of the cancer warnings in Seanad Éireann, the Minister for Health expressed the view that having a specific warning for cancer could create a hierarchy of diseases and potentially have the effect of implying that other equally serious conditions are less important. The original intention of the health warnings provision was to ensure that consumers are informed of the generality of health risks associated with alcohol and not to highlight one particular risk.

Since that time the measure of including a cancer warning on labels was assessed at EU level under Regulation No. 1169 of 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. On 2 May the European Commission communicated its decision that it was not issuing a negative opinion on the provision. A negative opinion would have effectively blocked the provision from being enacted. As no negative opinion was issued there is no block at EU level to this measure being enacted. The Commission response stated that it would further assess this issue when the draft regulations on the format of the warning are submitted to it.

The purpose of this measure is to provide health information to the consumer on the link between alcohol and fatal cancers. It is no more than that. The result of the provision will be that consumers will be made aware of the settled international scientific consensus that there is a link between alcohol and cancers and he or she can make a decision on that basis.

Rather than discussing why we should introduce this measure perhaps the real questions is why should we as consumers not know about the direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers. The 2016 Healthy Ireland survey found that only 21% of respondents were aware of the link between alcohol and breast cancer when drinking more than the recommended number of standard drinks and only 16% of women between the ages of 15 and 24 knew of it. Only 40% knew of the risk in relation to bowel cancer.

Amendment No. 13 proposes to delete the reference to the link with cancer on the notices that will be placed on premises which sell alcohol in reusable containers such as by the glass in an on-licensed premises. I do not see why the consumer who buys alcohol by the glass should not have access to the same information as one who buys it in a labelled container. Amendment No. 20 removes the warning from advertisements. The provisions on advertising are designed so that consumers can make informed choices about drinking alcohol but also to ensure that advertisements for alcohol products will no longer be able to portray alcohol as being entirely positive and risk free.

Billions of euro have been spent each year on the advertising of alcohol and research demonstrates it is effective. As legislators, we have the responsibility to balance the risk-free messaging in advertising with factual information about its risks. For these reasons I do not propose to accept the amendments.

Deputy Durkan spoke about competition and this will apply to all products sold in the State and will not apply to any products intended for sale outside the State. There will be no case where an Irish product will be required to have such information and compete with products manufactured elsewhere. Deputy Kelly dealt with labelling with cancer warnings. As Minister of State with responsibility for health promotion I know it is very important to communicate to members of the public the proven harm that alcohol can cause to health and that the wide range of serious illnesses caused by alcohol includes cancer. I also acknowledge the work of the Irish Cancer Society on this matter. Members of the Opposition may push an amendment to remove the cancer warning but it can be dealt with again on Report Stage if the amendment is withdrawn. In the meantime I will speak to the Minister about this again. I do not know if that would be helpful.