Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The purpose of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill is to tackle alcohol misuse, underage drinking and overall consumption. It is in no one's interest to see alcohol products misused. I support the overall objective of the Bill but I have a difficulty with a small number of provisions, including that relating to the cancer warning. This label will destroy the reputation of Irish products which compete globally. Consumer warnings should be accurate. A general warning against excessive consumption of alcohol makes more sense than mentioning one disease.

It is vital that the Government invests in public information campaigns and, in particular, education programmes targeted at young people. The HSE has a low-risk drinking guideline and it is important that we raise awareness of this among people. This should be done before introducing a cancer warning on alcohol products. The Bill already provides for a general health warning on alcohol products that is separate from the cancer warning, the pregnancy warning and other mandatory labelling. Focusing on one health issue, namely, cancer, does not give a full or accurate picture to help consumers make informed choices about their drinking. As previous speakers noted, although the cancer labelling only applies to alcohol in this Bill there is a risk that cancer warnings will then be extended to other Irish food products such as processed meat, red meat, bacon and smoked fish, which is a major concern to the food and drink industry as a whole.

I am disappointed that no debate took place in the Seanad on Fifth Stage.

Has the Department of Health supplied a scientific file to the European Commission to justify the introduction of cancer warning labels? The Minister has stated that this provision will not come into effect for three years after the point at which the European Commission approves the labels. This means that the European Commission must approve the labels and then it will be three to five years before they become compulsory.

We need to have a conversation about where we are going from here and its impact on small breweries and distilleries especially. As I said earlier, we do need to combat the abuse of alcohol. Imposing a cancer warning on Irish products will harm the reputation of Irish producers and Ireland's reputation as a nation known for producing high-quality food and drink and will denigrate Irish products on the global market. No other country in the world has done this. This Government is also busy encouraging distillery and brewery tourism because it knows the importance of this for rural development. I have visited breweries and distilleries in my county, Louth, including Cooley Distillery, which is located only ten miles from Dundalk and which has been in operation since 1987. It employs over 70 people directly, and more indirectly, in an area where employment is limited. The company has invested €14 million since 2012 and has increased its shipment by 400% since 2011.

I welcome two things. The Minister assured me that there would be no issue with directional signs to promote breweries and distilleries to tourists. It is good news especially for my home town of Dundalk and the Great Northern Distillery and Cooley Distillery. I also welcome that the labelling requirement will not apply to export products. I realise that there is not a family in this country that has not had experience of cancer. It is an awful disease and I agree that every effort must be made to destroy it. My job is to represent my constituents and I am not going to make any apology for it. I am a very health conscious person but I think that this is a step too far. The one thing I like about the Minister is that he is approachable and a man of his word. As a Fine Gael Deputy, I am disappointed with what is happening but I also respect what the Minister is doing. I appreciate the two commitments given to me this evening by the Minister in respect of exports and directional signs.

I am a firm believer that one's health is one's wealth. The mere mention of the word "cancer" sends a shiver down my spine. However, people must take responsibility and sometimes say "No". That is the way to go.

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