Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

-----it had the desired effect. The discussion of the legislation has forced me and all others involved to have a very grown up and honest conversation about our relationship as a State with alcohol. That conversation is welcome. We have moved on from rolling our eyes and saying a person is fond of a pint to being able to confront such behaviour and acknowledge that on a Tuesday night, a person is probably better off having a Ribena than a glass of red wine. It is evident that there is less of a macho culture associated with alcohol consumption among young people. However, there is a culture of harmful drinking in society which I am very hopeful the legislation will confront.

My party has played a proactive role in the debate on the Bill thus far and I am delighted to say that we are willing to work with anyone and everyone to ensure it is brought to Final Stage. My colleague, Deputy Ó Caoláin, was a member of the Joint Committee on Health and Children that discussed and completed pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. Sinn Féin strongly supported the Bill in the Seanad and, before Christmas, Sinn Féin Senators voted for its passage through that House. We are aware of the devastating impact of alcohol abuse and misuse on families, individuals, employers and the State and have seen the destruction that alcohol can bring to families and communities.

I hosted an information evening for parents in my home town of Skerries. We were delighted to have Senator Frances Black come and speak to us. As all Members know, Senator Black is centrally involved in helping the families of those with experience of harmful drinking. At the end of the meeting, it was quite refreshing and welcome that those in attendance were able to have a very open and frank conversation on the matter and it was very evident to me that there is strong support outside the Oireachtas for the legislation. I do not direct my remarks at any one person or group but, listening to some, one could be forgiven for thinking the roof will fall in on us if we pass this legislation, whereas the opposite is probably true. We are hurtling towards a problem if we do not confront and deal with this issue. That evening brought home to me how much support there is in my community for the legislation. Having spoken to my colleagues on the issue, I know such support is replicated in their local areas.

The collaboration of all parties on the matter has led to sensible amendments to the Bill being brought forward. Members may be of the view that the Bill could or should have been stronger but the comprises reached and amendments agreed with cross-party support are welcome and speak to people outside the Oireachtas who want Members to make progress on the issue rather than disagree on what word should go where.

All Members are aware of the toll that alcohol misuse and harmful alcohol consumption takes on families and communities but by far the biggest cost of alcohol misuse is the estimated €1.2 billion it costs the State in health care. Any measure that can be put in place to reduce harmful consumption and thus reduce that burden as well as the other hurt caused by alcohol use and misuse is to be welcomed.

The Bill has been scrutinised for almost three years and is now overdue. There have been working groups, Oireachtas reports, a huge amount of discussion, consensus on many issues and a sub-committee of Oireachtas members who put a huge amount of work into advancing recommendations. The Bill, in its current form, broadly reflects the consensus that has been achieved. It was debated in the Seanad and some issues encountered there were, thankfully, navigated quite well. I acknowledge the work of Deputy Corcoran Kennedy in that regard. She put in many hard shifts to try to allay people's concerns and get the Bill progressed. The evidence for such hard work is the broad and cross-party support for the Bill.

All Members are aware of the damage done by harmful alcohol consumption. Some have seen it in their families or communities and there is no home or street in the State that has not been affected in some way. The cost of alcohol misuse was brought home to me by statistics showing an estimated average burden of €3,318 per annum is borne by each taxpayer to foot the bill for harmful alcohol consumption. Members know there are three alcohol-related deaths in Ireland every day. Alcohol misuse places a huge burden on the health service, which must cater for all people. However, if there is a way Members can work together to alleviate that burden it behoves us all to so do.

On lobbying, one issue I heard addressed on the airwaves was the relationship between alcohol and cancer. Sinn Féin has repeatedly called for the early introduction of the Bill because it deals with a serious public health issue. Those who have lobbied Members on this matter have tried to make it seem like they want to have a big party and Members in favour of the Bill are trying to stand in their way and come down heavy on alcohol use. That is not the case. All Members have been lobbied by people such as those who say they only like a drink in the evening or that the Bill is an example of a nanny state and so on. Members have come together to silence that lobby. The relationship between alcohol and cancer - and that it is implicated in seven forms of cancer, including liver, breast, bowel, mouth, throat, oesophageal and laryngeal cancers - is a medical fact but this has been dismissed by some in the alcohol industry who liken it to the carcinogens in burnt toast. One is unlikely to find a health care professional in the accident and emergency department of any hospital who has recently treated a person for the harmful effects of burnt toast. Likewise, I doubt that any member of An Garda Síochána has attended the scene of a burnt toast-related incident.

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