Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I understand it has had that capacity for quite a number of years, but I do not think it has moved within the Executive. There are challenges with movement over how to make up the revenue foregone. I will check with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, to see if there have been any discussions between the two Departments of Finance and the two Ministers in respect of corporation tax. I understand there have been discussions on the minimum pricing of alcohol between the two Ministers for Health; I can get clarification on that. Again, that would need to come through the Executive.

Suffice it to say, the Oireachtas passed the legislation on minimum pricing for alcohol almost unanimously. We did it for public health reasons. It was done in Scotland first. The results in Scotland appear to have been beneficial for public health. I take the point that the optimal way to do it is on an all-island basis. We would like the Northern Ireland Executive to implement it when it can. Obviously, now it is not in a position to do that because the Executive is no longer in place.