Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise my concerns about the increase in and excess of off-trade drink consumption. Everyone is concerned by the increase in alcohol consumption in recent years but the Government is tackling the wrong section on this matter. Over the last five years, turnover is down by 34% and we are losing licensed premises at the rate of one pub per day. The on-trade sector is far more labour intensive than the off-trade one and supports 50,000 jobs.

There seems to be no regulation of the quantity that people are drinking, and young people in particular. Young people are getting drink for as little as, or less than, €1 a bottle, yet nothing is being done to tackle this problem. We were led to believe that the Government was bringing forward proposals on below-cost selling. Young adults can buy alcohol for as little as 70 cent a bottle, yet nothing is being done to tackle this. At the same time, we have pubs closing day by day and there is no support from the Government.

The pub was always the lifeblood of rural communities where people could socialise. It was a way in which older people could deal with the problem of isolation. However, nothing is being done to tackle the real problem of alcohol consumption, which is that multiples are using alcohol to attract customers. They do not care who drinks it or what happens to them as a result. The wrong emphasis is being placed on this matter. What will the Government do about the number of jobs this measure will cause to be lost in the on-trade sector? Nothing is being done to support rural pubs.

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