Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to speak to this amendment because I am totally opposed to what is being proposed. We cannot take young people and wrap them up in cotton wool and say they will never see something that we do not want them to see. Every young person today has a mobile phone. It is no longer a communications instrument for making phonecalls. It is their connection to the outside world. It is their newsfeed. There is advertising on mobile phones and they can see everything on them, whether it has something to do with alcohol, smoking or anything else.

It is wrong to try to demonise our sporting industries and our GAA clubs. If a team wins a game and the people who played on the team or who were at the game want to celebrate that win, or if people want to celebrate when something good happens in a parish or a community, there is nothing wrong with that provided the people are of the appropriate age to drink alcohol. None of us is saying anything about allowing, promoting or wanting young people to get interested in alcohol when they are underage. However, if people participate in a sporting game, be it hurling or football, and if they want to go for a celebration after it, it is not right to paint the picture that is wrong and that people should not go to the local public house. If they wish to do so, there is nothing wrong with that. There was a long-standing tradition that if a team won a cup and the team and its supporters went to the local pub, the local publican would put something into the cup and the people would have a little sip out of the cup. It is not right to insinuate there is something wrong with that.

I mean no disrespect to the Deputy and she has her opinion, but I have my opinion. I do not agree with demonising those involved in sports and saying that this is wrong. I see nothing in the world wrong with people going to the local pub to have a celebration after winning a game, a championship, a county final, a local club game or an all-Ireland final. If people want to celebrate those events, there is nothing wrong with that. Life is short and if people want to celebrate any issue, there is nothing wrong with that provided they are adults, of the appropriate age, and that they act in a responsible fashion.

To say it is wrong for sporting organisations to get advertising sponsorship from drinks groups is more rubbish. I totally disagree with that and I will tell the Deputy the reason. If the drinks industry has money, wants to advertise and is willing to support a local club or team, I see nothing in the world wrong with that. It is perfectly above board. It is wrong to try to make that illegal. It would be like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I do not agree with it. That has been the practice for many years. If young people who are of an age want to have a drink and act responsibly, there is nothing wrong with that. If they want to join the local pioneers and be a member of the pioneer association, that is fine too. People have choices to make in life.

In the context of the Bill, I support measures promoting alcohol awareness and the level of alcohol people could or should consume. If, as is proposed, we break the sports sponsorship link with the drinks industry and those involved in the alcohol business, where will the money come from to fund local clubs that have been relying on sponsorship from drinks advertising? Who is going to make up the shortfall? There is nothing wrong with advertising alcohol. It is the same as advertising any other product. It is not an illegal product. There is nothing wrong with alcohol in moderation. This proposal is a nonsense. It is wrong. It would be very hurtful to many of our sporting organisations. Many people have asked me what they are supposed to do to make up the shortfall of money if they are not allowed to accept advertising or sponsorship from drinks groups.

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