Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The problems of alcohol misuse and the recommendations to deal with these in the report of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland are similar to those reported by the substance misuse steering group. Both reports provide a robust analysis of the problems of alcohol misuse and key recommendations based on a thorough review of national and international evidence.

I will be submitting proposals to the Government very shortly to deal with the misuse of alcohol. These proposals are based on the recommendations of the substance misuse report. These proposals are real and tangible, and cover all of the areas mentioned in the latter report including, but not limited to legislation on minimum unit pricing, which is about setting a statutory floor price per gram of alcohol; access and availability of alcohol, including separation of alcohol from other products in retail units where alcohol is sold; and advertising and sponsorship. The Cabinet committee on social policy has already considered these proposals and in developing them. My officials and I have also had frequent discussions with a number of Departments.

At the same time, work by my officials on developing a framework for the necessary Department of Health legislation governing, among others, minimum pricing, has continued. For example, in conjunction with Northern Ireland, a health impact assessment is being commissioned as part of the process of developing a legislative basis for minimum unit pricing. Scotland commissioned the same sort of assessment when it was developing its legal framework on minimum unit pricing, approved in the Scottish High Court only last week on 3 May, which I am very pleased to see. The health impact assessment will study the impact of different minimum prices on a range of areas such as health, crime and likely economic impact.

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