Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We have a serious problem in this country in getting carried away as if we are all raging alcohols and lunatics. Microbreweries will find it hard to survive. I recently visited one under construction in Clonakilty, Clonakilty Brewing Company, where an individual pointed out to me that the opportunity to bring tourits to west Cork was phenomenal. This is moving away slightly from what we are talking about, but there was an advertisement on the window of the high-rise building in which the company was located. The person concerned was not allowed to advertise his company if there was a play school or any school within a certain distance of the building. We get too carried away. Children in play schools are not running up to a brewery or a pub for pint bottles. I have a conflict of interest up to a point since my brothers have pubs in west Cork, but that is not what we are talking about. We are talking about microbreweries. As others have done, I ask the Minister to reconsider to ensure their survival. When a person visits a microbrewery, if he or she wants wants to do so, he or she should have the opportunity to purchase its product or products.

The House has to pull back a small bit from the hang-up about alcohol it has shown for the past 12 or 18 months. Most of the people I hear giving out about drinking alcohol are drinking a bottle or two of wine every night at home. God only knows how much over the limit they are the next morning. If the blood alcohol limit was set at zero, the very people who are telling us we are doing the wrong thing would be caught. I would appreciate if the Minister gave serious consideration to the amendment.

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