Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

I do not usually go on at length and neither will I do so tonight. Along with my party leader there will be many people scratching their heads around Europe wondering why the one thing we have incentivised in Ireland in this budget is drinking. We lead Europe in terms of binge drinking by young people, we almost lead Europe in drinking generally and the one thing being made cheaper is drink. We have all the information on the negative effects on the health services of drinking and on the health of our nation and on our accident and emergency departments. Just yesterday we were informed that drink plays a significant part in incidents of rape yet we are encouraging people to drink more. If one takes five people living beside each other in small houses in Ireland, the blind man in one house will be hit, the mother with three children will be hit in her child benefit payment, the poor elderly man who is a chronic diabetic and has a heart problem will now have to pay for his medication-----

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