Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I am grateful to hear the report will be submitted by the end of the year. The Minister of State said that, according to the OECD report, we are 40% worse off in Ireland with regard to alcohol than we were in the 1980s. The number of young people under 15 who are drinking, especially binge drinking, has increased.

As a parent, I am very conscious of alcohol-related problems at weekends when my children go to parties or the picture house. I am always afraid I will get the dreaded telephone call. I did get one last year because my young daughter ended up with a bottle in her face. I spent 11 hours in the accident and emergency unit with her and she had to get five stitches on the bridge of her nose.

There is a lot in the Minister of State's reply and I appreciate the fact that the steering group has been set up. It is urgent that it produce its report. There are still many alcohol-related practices that need to be curtailed. I refer in particular to the activities of off-licences and dial-a-can services and to the admission of intoxicated young people to nightclubs where they are served even more alcohol. I ask the Minister to address these issues with a sense of urgency, particularly given that so many young people have changed their lifestyles in the family home and their attitudes to alcohol.

Last week, I attended a function in a hotel and paid €12 for four bottles of Coca-Cola. This price is outrageous. My young daughter went to a disco last year in town and was charged €3.50 for a bottle of water. Something must be done to curtail this abuse of the system.

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