Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I propose to share time with Deputies Lowry and Finian McGrath. I welcome the proposals before the House from the Ministers, Deputies Brian Lenihan and Dermot Ahern. I particularly welcome the willingness of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Ahern, to engage with the various interest groups on whose shoulders it will fall to implement this legislation.

The changes announced last night regarding retail provisions are especially welcome. The segregation of alcohol sounds great in theory and for some retailers it would not be a problem. However, for the majority, particularly the smaller, owner-managed retailers it presents a major problem and major expense that could not be recouped in the market conditions in which they operate. The issue of staffing and the practical matter of not having space are also concerns.

The decision to introduce the voluntary code is welcome but places the onus on the shoulders of the retailers. I hope they will respect it, engage with it and that this House does not have take further action on it. Having met many in recent weeks, I do not doubt that owner-managed operators would have no difficulty operating this voluntary code. The pride in the name over the door still stands for many of them. However, I have concerns about how the large supermarkets and multiples will engage with this voluntary code. They have shown little regard to date for many of the issues this Bill seeks to address. Particular vigilance is needed for that sector.

I do not know if the nightclub issue is being addressed in these reforms. Sequential opening times must be examined. It has already been mentioned in the House as assisting public order. It makes no sense to have every night establishment closing at the same time and everyone spilling on to the streets, often with nowhere to go, with transport not available and takeaways closed. This will lead to public order issues. If we can bring people out on a phased basis, particularly in large towns and cities, the prospect of public disorder is lessened.

The matter of drinking-up time and the ability to play music during that time seems a small issue but is one that causes much hassle for nightclub owners. It is a small concession to make in this context.

I have been watching the debate on the monitor as well as in the House and agree with all speakers on the loyalty cards and the below cost selling of alcohol in retail outlets. That must stop. Whether this is an issue for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment or the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, heads must be knocked together without delay. Supermarkets have been using alcohol as a loss leader to get people in the door. It is normal to see the weekly shop include crates of beer and spirits, with food following behind as a minor purchase. That is the single greatest issue in terms of the sale of alcohol.

On a walk through any park in any town where under age and illegal drinking takes place, one will come across packaging with the brand names of various supermarkets thrown there. It is evident that the alcohol was easy to purchase and, in this day of technology, we should be able to track where these bottles and cans were purchased through a bar code system. Tracing them to the point of purchase could provide for a further sanction against this behaviour. We cannot stop talking about it and we must address it.

Below-cost selling has become a greater issue in recent years. We will not blame anyone for this but it must be tackled. It is strange that we are reluctant to have national identification cards in this State, particularly for under age people. We do not have difficulty with identification cards in the US or Australia. As younger people on J1 visas in the US, we did not have difficulty with an under age limit of 21 years but when we talk about it in Ireland the issues of civil liberties and everything else comes into play. We have not been able to progress the matter of national identification cards. On this issue, the sale of alcohol particularly to under age people a national ID card is the only solution. It could be managed by some agency and should be a card that cannot be copied or used or sold on the black market. It is only fair to the proprietors of retail outlets, pubs and nightclubs or any undertaking involved in the sale of alcohol that we give them this protection in the battle against under age consumption of alcohol.

I listened to Deputy Deenihan's comments. The difficulty with binge drinking in Ireland is that none of us knows we are doing it. It is considered something somebody else does. The scientific interpretation of binge drinking shows that we all do it every weekend but we do not know we are doing it. There must be an aggressive discussion on the fact that the normal weekend out qualifies as binge drinking. Then, people might examine their own behaviour.

I commend the Bill and welcome the engagement between the Minister and the interest groups. There will be further discussion on Committee Stage on other matters. This should be seen as the first step on a full scale assault on the sale of alcohol, the misuse of alcohol and the others issues concerning alcohol that are doing so much damage to our country.

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