Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not agree with the notion that one starts to introduce sectoral policies on companies' accounting practices on the basis of the product they are supplying. We are trying to do a forensic job of dealing with the supplier supply chain here.

Deputy Calleary raises the much wider issue of alcohol abuse in society. There are many dimensions to that which need a broad-based public policy response. Those public policy responses, as I understand it as I do not deal with them on a day-to-day basis and I do not have an expertise in them, deal with looking at advertising, sponsorship, public education, the sort of activities consumers have as alternatives and role models, and they involve, as Deputy Calleary states, the price promotions where alcohol is concerned. The Ministers responsible are looking at a coherent response to that. They will bring forward the appropriate legislation in a coherent way to deal with what is a multifaceted alcohol problem. It is not appropriate for me to dream up public health policy in the context of legislation to deal with competition concerns. The issues of public policy in the health area are rightly the domain of the Minister for Health and those involved on the Joint Committee on Health and Children that is developing appropriate responses, including many Departments - not my own - which have an approach to this.

I understand that an approach on minimum alcohol pricing which has been introduced in Scotland is under consideration. That is being developed, I understand, by the appropriate Minister who must look at its legal viability in terms of EU law. I understand they are steering that legislation along, but it is complex legislation that must be viewed in its own right. It is not for me to pre-empt without proper consultation or appreciation of the legal issues and to agree to a piece of legislation that has not been properly developed. Indeed, Deputy Calleary has not offered a particular piece, but I would not be supporting it anyhow. One needs to have the issue of alcohol abuse dealt with in a coherent way and the Ministers will bring forward that approach.

What we are having here is a discussion about whether we should impose particular profit reporting on particular types of company in Ireland. Such an arbitrary approach should not be a feature of our approach to companies. We should approach this in a balanced and proportionate way. If we have concerns about public policies that are being affected by such companies, we regulate them in the public policy arena, for instance, in public health law or, as we are doing here with groceries, in competition law. It is not a proper approach to business regulation to introduce legislation that applies on an ad hocbasis.

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