Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Given that my son is currently building his brewery and is aware that legislation of this nature is coming in, he will not have any problem with running tours because he is ensuring there will be sufficient space to so do.

Deputy Ó Laoghaire discussed brewery premises. I am not saying that the premises should not be fit for purpose but, rather, I fully agree with Deputy Ó Laoghaire in that regard. My amendments do not challenge the fact that premises must be fit for purpose.

The Minister discussed health and safety and I fully agree that there must be health and safety measures in such premises. That is all the more reason why it might not be a good idea to allow a tour through some very small breweries where it can be a bit mad in terms of how the plant is organised. It would be challenging from a health and safety point of view to allow tours of such premises.

The Minister stated that alcohol has always been a restricted product in Ireland. He probably does not need me to tell him that the time at which the most alcohol was sold in the United States was during prohibition. He is correct that we have an odd and restrictive approach to alcohol in Ireland but we have more problems with alcohol than any country in Europe where the laws are far more flexible. We need to take an educated approach to the consumption of alcohol and part of the Bill brought forward by Deputy Kelly would constitute an improvement in how we relate to alcohol. The Bill would definitely bring about an improvement in how we relate to alcohol because in 2015, the last year for which there are official figures, alcohol abuse in Ireland cost the State €3.6 billion. I do not understand why the Government is not more proactive in dealing with this problem. Why do we still allow alcohol to be advertised through sport? If we really care about addressing the alcohol problem, why does the State not replace the €36 million a year that sporting organisations currently get from the alcohol industry? That lack of action is beyond my understanding because using sport to promote the consumption of alcohol is the best way to get young people involved in alcohol consumption. However, the Government is not tackling it because of lobbying and vested interests.

Deputy Chambers discussed how to monitor and provide oversight for tours, which is a huge challenge. I would like the legislation to be stronger in that regard. The Bill is not restrictive but it could be more practical. Deputy O'Callaghan made the point that craft breweries are encouraging people to be more interested in the taste of alcohol. In terms of tourism, one can complete a tour in most breweries in Ireland in a matter of minutes, and sometimes only one minute.

The tasting of the craft beer is a significant element of the tourism offering. Deputy Kelly made the point, and he is absolutely correct, that one cannot drink a craft beer in the same way as one drinks chemical beers in the pub. It it would not be possible. A person would struggle-----