Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

I strongly support Deputy Coveney on this issue. It is time we got to grips with alcohol and its abuse. We have talked about it for long enough. When one looks at the fairly dramatic changes that have occurred on another public health issue, namely, smoking, it is clear that political decisions can make a real difference. I am conscious of the fact that not that long ago, when Deputy Gormley was in Opposition, he would regularly speak on the Order of Business about the need to legislate on this issue. He was very critical of the Minister at the time.

It seems that there is something missing in this Bill as the alcohol issue has been avoided, even though there is an emphasis on junk food. On the scale of things, alcohol is a more serious issue. I am not denying that childhood obesity is not a big issue, but alcohol is a very big factor in adult obesity. Looking at the range of conditions that lead to early death or serious ill health, alcohol is a key factor along with smoking. Enormous resources are put into the promotion of alcohol, particularly in making the connection between alcohol and sport. It is obviously in the interests of the industry to capture people who are young enough to get a really good habit of consuming alcohol, and very often they take up drinking alcohol to excess.

Either we accept there is an issue of binge drinking in this country or we do not. All the medical evidence suggests that there is a serious issue, be it genetic, cultural or due to the fact that we have become very wealthy, even though we seem to have lost all that wealth again. All these factors have conspired to give us the dubious distinction of being one of the great binge drinkers of Europe. Given the requirements on this new authority to deal with a range of cultural issues, be they multicultural issues or the effects of commercialisation on children, it is really remiss of the Minister to ignore the elephant in the room. Deputy Coveney is trying to give the new authority a form of clout with an industry that is very powerful and makes huge profits, particularly over the period of the Celtic tiger. These profits benefitted people on one side, but on the other side, they have lead to problems on an individual basis and on a societal basis that must be confronted. I regret the fact that the Minister has not done so, and I support Deputy Coveney in his attempt to bring this issue into the Bill where it belongs.

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