Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will have to speak with the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, or Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, to get an update on the matter. The Deputy's point is well made. We will achieve nothing if all we are do is encourage people to cross the Border to buy alcohol in Northern Ireland. That does nothing for their health and it damages retailers in counties south of the Border. That does not make common sense. The original intention all along was to do it at the same time as Northern Ireland but that is a problem in the absence of an assembly and Executive there. I will check matters with Deputies Harris and Catherine Byrne but the point the Deputy makes is valid and made well. However, this will not prevent us from implementing many other aspects of that groundbreaking public health legislation.

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