Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Minister for Health and the Minister of State, Deputy RóisIn Shortall, are considering the report with a view to bringing proposals to the Government. It is exceptionally irresponsible for a group to link the payment of children's allowance with cheap alcohol. I understand Centra has today ordered its retailers to withdraw the promotion. The human cost of alcohol is enormous. I attended a meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee which was addressed by the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health, Dr. Tony Holohan, who launched the national substance misuse strategy steering group report on 7 February. Alcohol, among other things, was responsible for at least 88 deaths every month in 2008. The death of one in four young men was estimated to be due to alcohol, which compares to one in 12 deaths due to cancer or one in 25 deaths due to cardiovascular disease. Alcohol is a contributory factor in half of all suicides and incidents of deliberate self-harm and also increases the risk of acquiring more than 60 medical conditions such as cancer. It is associated with 2,000 beds being occupied every night in Irish acute hospitals - 2,000 beds every night occupied by people loaded with alcohol - a quarter of injuries presenting to emergency departments and 7,866 attendances in 2010 of specialised addiction treatment centres. These are enormously important figures. There are recommendations from the steering group. The Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, are looking at the report and they will bring their proposals to Government shortly.

Because all of these things are lumped together, I might just say in passing that the Polish Prime Minister, Mr. Tusk, spoke to me at the conclusion of the meeting in Brussels the other day and complimented Ireland on the quality, friendliness and generosity of its supporters recently attending the matches as part of the European championships. He came over to me directly and said to specifically convey this to the Irish people and the Irish supporters.

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