Ms Paula Leonard:

On information campaigns, significant progress is being made in the alcohol piece. We have the Ask about Alcohol campaign which includes radio, TV and web content. It is the only WHO accepted website in Ireland which includes public information on alcohol. We have the working group which is limited to the HSE. In any other forward movement we would be in agreement with the WHO guidelines which state one needs to have the involvement of people and their families impacted on by the condition to know how to deal with it sensitively. It is important to acknowledge what is being done well.

The other challenge in dealing with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders is in the medical community, including obstetrics and gynaecology and GPs. We suffered for many years because there were some equivocal messages coming through.

We are moving much closer to an unequivocal message. I understand that the HSE is collaborating with a number of people to put together a position paper. I hope we will have something over the next number of months to ensure the medical community sings from the same hymn sheet on that issue. We welcome what is being done in this regard and we do not seek anything additional. I do not know how it relates to other conditions, however.