Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

In the context of this Bill, I refer briefly to a report published in April that received very little attention or space in the national media. The report in question, Alcohol Related Harm in Ireland, was produced by Dr. Ann Hope of the HSE and is a report that should be sent to every school, publican and GP. It confirms what I said on numerous occasions here when addressing the issue of alcohol abuse.

Alcohol is the third highest factor in the case of premature death and ill health in the European Union. Alcohol consumption is linked to more than 60 diseases and conditions, affecting nearly every organ in the human body. Some diseases are wholly caused by alcohol, such as alcoholic liver disease, alcohol dependency or alcohol poisoning. A dose response relationship is evident between alcohol consumption and risk of harm. In other words, the risk of harm increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. For many conditions and diseases, the relative risk increases with the increase in the volume of alcohol consumed. For example, there is a 13-fold increased risk of liver cirrhosis for women who drink 40 mg or more or for men who drink 60 mg or more per day. In the case of ischaemic stroke, something the Minister of State would be aware of, low level alcohol consumption offers some protection for men and women, but high level consumption increases the risk. There is also an increased risk of haemorrhage stroke in men, even at a low consumption level. I recommend that this excellent report by Dr. Ann Hope be circulated widely. It should also be discussed in Committee or in the House and it certainly can contribute much to our debate.

This legislation is based on the report of the Government alcohol advisory group which was set up in January. When the group was set up, the Minister at the time said he would implement its recommendations as soon as possible. I recognise the action of the Minister in this regard and that this action is now being continued by the current Minister. This is how legislation should be brought forward. This is how it is done in America and legislation does not need to go through years of consideration before a Bill is produced. As an aside, the heads for the Curragh of Kildare Bill were ready in 2004. I asked a parliamentary question about that Bill today, but the response was that it will not be ready for several years yet. There is action on the legislation before us now, which is untypical of the slow and cumbersome way we normally produce legislation here.

I know Dr. Gordon Holmes well and compliment him on his approach to the Bill. He has been involved in previous reports and has a depth of experience in the areas of legislation and alcohol abuse. Unfortunately, however, a number of the recommendations made in his report will not be included in the Bill. Some will and others will be changed and, perhaps, improved. Dr. Holmes's report highlights several important statistics for people interested in this area and for decision makers. It shows that Ireland has one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the European Union. In 2006, alcohol consumption levels here were approximately 30% higher than the EU average. This demonstrates the scale of the problem.

In addition to high consumption levels, Ireland also has a particular problem with binge drinking. It may be useful to consider binge drinking as a cultural attitude to alcohol consumption. Going out to get drunk is considered one of the hallmarks of binge drinking, as is preloading — a term used to refer to the consumption of alcohol before going out. Going out to get drunk is very much part of the philosophy of many of our young people, and even some older people. Preloading has become prevalent. Proprietors of bars and clubs would say that people come from their homes and parties already intoxicated. Therefore, we cannot blame it all on bar owners or proprietors of other centres where people go to drink. This Bill is designed to combat the easy availability of alcohol and I welcome that.

I noticed a comment made by the chairman of the advisory group, Dr. Gordon Holmes, on the publication of the legislation. He said he was pleased his recommendations were accepted, but was disappointed there was still no overall Government policy across all Departments. I have called for a cross-departmental approach to this problem on several occasions. In 1991 I produced a Private Members' Bill, the Youth Services Bill, which suggested an integrated approach to issues such as alcohol abuse. Unfortunately, few Private Members' Bills are accepted by this House. That was a good Bill and the approach recommended in it is now being proposed. Then, because it was an Opposition Bill, it was not accepted.

With regard to the provisions in the Bill, I welcome the additional powers given to the Garda. I was in New York recently where I visited a policeman friend who took me into the NYPD headquarters. He showed me around and I went out on a few working trips with him and saw for myself how the police handle situations in New York. One cannot be seen with a bottle of alcohol on the street in New York, even if it is in a bag. It is confiscated. It is not tolerated. As a result, one does not see these things anymore on the streets of Manhattan or New York. I hope this provision will have the desired effect. It is fine to take alcohol from somebody once but can we continue to do so? If we do, is there an extra penalty for repeat offenders?

I refer to issues not addressed by the Bill, such as alcohol retail price promotions. We see offers for a full slab of beer free when one buys a slab. For young people it is a badge of honour to have a slab over their shoulders. That must stop and I hope it can be addressed by another Department.

I see no reason the Garda national identification card, into which the Garda Síochána put much time and money devising, cannot be universal. The Minister should make it mandatory.

There should be mandatory training for alcohol retailers. This has been successful in the food industry. The standard of food hygiene was raised considerably because of that initiative and there is no reason there should not be mandatory training for alcohol retailers.

I am pleased the Minister dropped the measures on early opening, for which there was no justification. I am pleased he has introduced a voluntary code for separation. Separation could be counterproductive for some people and put them out of business, especially those in rural areas, but those who could afford it would put larger units in their shops, and would make sure it would pay. As a member of the committee, I will have the opportunity to address these issues again on Committee Stage. I welcome the important debate and hope it will address the mayhem on our streets and the damage done to young people. This is not the ultimate solution but is a step in the right direction.

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