Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy Calleary for providing us with an opportunity to discuss this issue. Reference was made to the 1997 Act. All of us agree that the situation now is worse than when that legislation was enacted.

Others have alluded to the fact that when one goes into a hospital at 10 o'clock at night, the first to meet one are security staff in safety vests etc. I am not saying this applies to all hospitals - it does not - but it certainly applies to all of the large ones and I am only familiar with the city ones. From what I have been told by those involved in the nurses' union, it is a nationwide problem. We must acknowledge that. I repeat that all of us, including myself, despite the gap of more than 12 years, should take note of this matter and try to get to the root of it.

Many of those who spoke earlier illustrated their personal experiences in their constituencies. All of us know exactly what has happened in the past 15 to 20 years. We know what is the root cause of it. A previous speaker, Deputy Browne, referred to the famous national event, Arthur's Day. They should - although Guinnesses is unlikely to do so - rename it the national drug day because alcohol is the national drug.

It amazes me - it must be a generational issue - that every speaker I heard, either in here or on the monitor, used the same terminology that they use in Britain, that is, alcohol and drugs. Alcohol is a drug. It is the most popular one. It does exactly what it is supposed to do - it changes one's mood. I know all about it because I am a user occasionally. We seem unable to get our heads around the fact that alcohol is a gateway drug. We talk repeatedly about the problem among young people and their drinking habits. Some young people have a drinking habit but it is not as big as the adults' problem. All the emphasis is on youth drinking and the abuse of drink by young people, but grown-ups abuse it much more.

For those of us who left this House on that famous night of Arthur's Day and had to walk and use public transport, it was not a pleasant experience. I have been in a few dodgy places in my time but the atmosphere two minutes from this door was quite frightening for many who would not be used to it. I saw many tourists not heading into watering holes, but trying to get away from where they were, and that is fairly bad.

Interestingly, Deputy Browne referred to reading about the Guinnesses and Arthur Guinness. Correct me if I am wrong, but I do not think Arthur Guinness spent much time drinking. He was a puritan. However, he did not mind selling the stuff, especially to the poor of Ireland and he made a fortune, as did his family. He was too clever by far. I think he enjoyed other things, which I will not go into, but he was not a man to get drunk. He looked after his bank account.

Although I do not want to keep on about my issue with Arthur's Day, can anyone think of another country in Europe where the state and society would allow someone to celebrate the national drug? There would be uproar in Britain if any of the leading brands of lagers tried that, and even more uproar if it happened in mainland Europe, but we do it. We celebrate it. In the case of this city, I was amazed that morning to see that the local authority allowed the company to put up displays on the ESB poles as one goes round St. Stephen's Green. No doubt Guinness paid the local authority for that. I heard an earlier speaker state there was no excuse for those who drink and it is a choice they must make, but what choice is it for kids who might be running around St. Stephen's Green on Arthur's Day when they see this promotion of the national drug? Does anyone wonder why kids get drunk? We should not because we know exactly why. We must size up to this and make up our minds about it.

Just like in any other jurisdiction, and particularly Britain because there has been more research done there, as the use, abuse and consumption of alcohol and any other drug increases, so does antisocial behaviour. They co-relate. It is indisputable, and some of the experts in this country - there are some good ones - will tell one exactly that. I am not in favour of prohibition. I enjoy my few pints but I do not want to buy the stuff at 10 o'clock in the morning. Why would anyone want to buy alcohol at 10 a.m.? There is something seriously wrong. If one went to any other jurisdiction in Europe, they would baulk at the idea that one can ring up one's local from the couch and it can deliver beer to one at 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock at night. We wonder why we have a problem. One wonders why nurses and doctors are being attacked in hospitals. We know why they are being attacked but we do not want to do anything about it.

We will get a choice to do something when the new alcohol Bill comes in. As a member of the Joint Committee on Health and Children, I am not one of the optimists. If the history of this House in dealing with the national drug is anything to go by, nothing will be done. We heard this morning that we should separate drugs, that alcohol is not too bad although it gives one a sore head, but then people turn around and ask, "What about the assaults on gardaí?" As legislators, we must make up our minds that either we will do something about it or it will get worse and someone, although probably not Deputy Calleary, will be back here in ten years' time proposing what he has proposed this morning. That is what will happen because an increase in consumption leads to an increase in assaults.

All one need do is speak to front line staff. It is they who should be here speaking about this, not Deputy Calleary or me, because they will tell us the realities of it. I am not sure whether that would have a - pardon the pun - sobering effect on backbenchers but we will get an opportunity to face up to this issue when the alcohol Bill arrives. That will be an interesting debate, and an interesting vote as well.

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