Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is a pity we have a Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in the Chamber. I want to acknowledge that we were one of the first to propose the abolition of drink advertising at sports grounds and at sport-related events. It has been progressive. When we see the way our sportsmen and sportswomen travel abroad to attend major functions, even having taken a drink, Irish fans can be the best and most well-behaved in comparison with their counterparts from other countries.

We know the Bill is needed because there are problems with excessive drinking. The big question is how to control it. The thrust of the Bill is welcome. It was going fine until a few amendments were added. These have given rise to serious concerns on my part. Are we jumping the gun with this Bill? We are proud members of the EU and I am led to believe that the Commission is putting together some proposals regarding labelling. Why do we not wait for those proposals? The Government and those which preceded it have always been very good at enforcing EU directives. In those circumstances, why not wait to see what the Commission says in respect of labelling?

I very much support the section on below-cost selling. As was stated in the debate on this issue last night, one of the former Ministers of State in the previous Government, Deputy Róisín Shortall, acknowledged that when below-cost selling was brought in, we could see an increase in alcohol consumption. We should give the proposed measure in respect of below-cost selling a chance to take effect. One can walk down some Dublin streets and see some people who are homeless or dropouts and they are drinking cheap beer and liquor. I welcome that measure and I hope it will be a hindrance to people drinking.

I am from an agricultural background. Anything that prohibits the promotion or selling of drink would have an impact on the agricultural and industrial sectors. I shall give an overview. Members are throwing around figures regarding hospitals and the excess burden of costs. I acknowledge that there are costs and that these can be avoided, but we must consider what we are attempting to do. The alcohol beverage sector makes a significant contribution to the economy. The drinks sector supports the employment of more than 200,000 people.

This includes brewers, distillery workers, suppliers, farmers, distributors and those working in the hospitality sector. Each year, the alcohol beverage sector generates wages of €2.9 billion and purchases of Irish produce worth over €1.1 billion. It exports goods worth over €1.25 billion and provides the State with over €2.3 billion through excise and VAT income. It generates hundreds of millions of euro in income tax, PRSI receipts and tax on profits annually. Ireland exports drink products to 130 markets worldwide. This reinforces our reputation as a premium food and drinks producer.

We are proposing to send Ministers abroad on expeditions to various countries. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine does a good job when he goes abroad to promote Ireland as a centre for the production of food and drink. What is going to happen now when the Minister goes to China to promote Irish drinks and obtain a share of the Chinese market? Ireland is not the major exporter or producer of drinks. We are competing with Scotland. It is a contradiction that the Minister will be promoting our products in China even though, back home in Ireland, we almost decided to require drinks to be put behind black curtains. I would not say it is like a form of prohibition, but it is something akin to what is happening with drugs. The biggest exporter of illegal drugs is Colombia, which foists its problems on other countries. Are we telling people elsewhere in the world to take our products because we do not want them here? That is what we are saying. It will portray a bad image of this country.

As I said earlier, farmers and others involved in agriculture are the main benefactors of our drinks industry. The Irish Distillers facility in Midleton is a major employer in my own backyard. It is expanding every day to increase its markets, create jobs and thereby benefit tillage farmers. Tillage farming is under fierce pressure. The only way tillage farmers can make a proper income is by selling premium malt. The Eight Degrees micro-brewery in Mitchelstown is expanding on a daily basis, including through export sales. It is ironic in the context of this legislation that one of our colleagues in the Labour Party has proposed a Bill which seeks to allow drink to be purchased on site at breweries. I am in favour of the Bill in question because there is no point in going to taste a product if one cannot buy it there and then.

There is another contradiction from the Government with regard to tourism. Two weeks ago, we made it more accessible for people to get drink by permitting pubs to open on Good Friday. I am not against it, but I think it is another example of people talking out of both sides of their mouths. If we are saying we need pubs to be open to keep tourist numbers up, where are we going with that kind of talk?

Enforcement is one of the big problems with this country's alcohol policy. Not enough is being done to restrict underage drinking. I could attack another member of the Labour Party, who proposed a Bill earlier this week that would criminalise parents who do not ensure that their children attend school for a specified number of days, on the basis that I do not see any proposal to criminalise parents who allow their children to engage in underage drinking. I am not looking for a nanny state, but I am saying that people who make proposals should be balanced when they come forward with initiatives. Binge drinking is happening on back streets and in parks, alleys and derelict buildings. We need proper enforcement to monitor this activity, which is associated with drug use. I have heard of people coming out late, after drinking behind closed doors where there are no controls, and arriving into nightclubs where they have just one drink. When such people end up totally intoxicated, it is suggested that the staff of the nightclub must have been irresponsible. Maybe they should be more observant when these people are going in the door. I suppose they do their best.

There is a need for balance when it comes to drink. There are health experts and professionals who tell us that one or two drinks can be good for us from a health perspective. This is another contradiction that needs to be considered when people quote figures.

My final point relates to the proposed restrictions on advertising and labelling. When clubs and organisations organise fundraisers and get-togethers in local villages, they often look for spot prizes. What is going to happen now when they go into local pubs, which tend to be the most obliging suppliers of sponsorship? Will local pubs be thanked for offering a bottle of whiskey as a spot prize?

See this speech in context