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

I am delighted to have an opportunity to contribute. I have been criticised for tabling amendments to this Bill. We live in a democracy. I will keep my discussions on these amendments brief. It is important that the case for them is made. I am trying to reflect what people in my constituency have been saying to me. I meet a lot of people who think this Bill goes a step too far. They believe there are other ways in which we could be tackling this problem and working to make sure our young people understand the effects of extreme drinking. We tend to take the easy and sensational route. We want to pat ourselves on the back and say that Ireland will be the first country in the world to put cancer labelling on bottles, instead of doing the real work that is needed to tackle underage drinking, a matter about which I am more worried.

When I listened to Deputies talking about cancer labelling in English and cancer labelling in Irish, I was afraid that before we finish there will be a requirement to have a little booklet hanging onto every bottle. The way we are going, a person will have to read such a booklet before he or she can buy alcohol. There is no common sense. There is not one bit of common sense going on in here.

I do not know when the last time I took a drink was. Maybe it was three weeks, a month or six weeks ago. I cannot remember. I rarely have time to drink. The way things are going, we will nearly be driven to drink in here as we try to put a bit of common sense into the rules and regulations we make in here.

Of course, this will not be a runner in Europe. We know why it will not be a runner. The rest of Europe will not damage its drinks industry. A person from abroad who comes to this country will read that he or she might get cancer by drinking a bottle of beer, or by having a drink in Ireland. That will not be seen in his or her own country. All we are doing is making a mockery of ourselves and damaging an industry that creates a great deal of employment for people. I think we have forgotten all about it.

I wonder whether democracy is going out the window here. From what I gather, people have been gagged inside here. They are nearly allowed to speak on this, but they are hardly allowed to vote on it. We live in a democracy. People should be allowed to say what they say. Every Member who has been elected to this House speaks to his or her constituents. We are getting a very clear message from our constituents. I am bringing the clear message I am getting back to the Dáil.

As I have stated previously, I would not be big into the old drink myself. I will say something that I have continued to say. It relates to something that the Minister and others have failed to do. If the Minister wants to send a message to the people of the Irish Republic about the damage that drink is doing to this country, he should close the Dáil bar. I have said it time and again. It could be kept open as a little café so that jobs are not lost. The closure of the Dáil bar would send a serious message. The Minister will not do it, however. No other party here will bring it forward.

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