Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the discussion that we have had on amendments Nos. 9, 11, 12 and 18, which have been discussed together. I want to try to respond to some of the points raised. That includes people calling for me to find common sense, not to go too far, or to listen to their common-sense view. It is very important as Minister of Health to listen to health experts. It is very important when bringing forward public health legislation to listen to those who know a bit about public health. I am very confident bringing forward this Bill. It has cross-party support and it was a Bill that appeared in almost every party's manifesto in the previous general election. Here we are two years on still trying to pass it through this Oireachtas.

The people and bodies that I have listened to about this, as well as the Chief Medical Officer and the officials in my Department, include members of the Alcohol Health Alliance-Alcohol Action Ireland, the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, the Health Service Executive, the Irish Heart Foundation, the National Youth Council of Ireland, the Irish Cancer Society, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the Children's Rights Alliance, the National Rehabilitation Hospital, the Irish Road Victims Association, the No Name Club, the Marie Keating Foundation, Purple House Cancer Support, the Irish College of General Practitioners, Aware, the Samaritans, the Institute of Public Health, the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland, the RISE Foundation, the Alcohol Forum, the Cork Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force, the Family Support Network, the Irish College of Ophthalmologists, the Union of Students of Ireland, the National Suicide Research Foundation, the National Women's Council of Ireland, the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland, Mental Health Reform, the Irish Medical Organisation, Social Justice Ireland, the Men's Health Forum, the Irish Student Health Association, the Irish Dental Association, AMEN Support Services, Dual Diagnosis Ireland, A Lust for Life, React, Pavee Point, Barnardos, the Environmental Health Association of Ireland, the South Western Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force, the Galway Healthy Cities Project, Community Awareness of Drugs, Ballymun Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force, Finglas-Cabra Drug and Alcohol Task Force, Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force, Drugs.ie, the Dental Health Foundation, the One Step Clinic, Lifewise, Dr. Siobhan Jennings, Dr. Suzanne Cotter, Dr. Hugh Gallagher, Professor Joe Barry, Professor Frank Murray, Dr. Bobby Smith, former Senator Jillian van Turnhout, Professor John Crown and Kathleen Moore-Watt, the law lecturer in Waterford Institute of Technology-----

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