Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister. He has been here frequently and is paying much attention to us.

The subject with which we are dealing is of great concern to everyone. It is certainly of great concern to me because I am particularly concerned about our young people and their future. There will be a serious alcohol problem in the country in a few years. How will we deal with it? If we do not deal with it as a matter of urgency, it will, as has been the case to date, get worse.

Irish teenagers are among the highest ranking in Europe in terms of alcohol consumption. This is not a statistic about which we should boast. What effect is it having on their lives? Last week's "Prime Time" programme showed how alcohol is affecting them and how it can result in their getting involved in assaults of various kinds or reaching such a state of drunkenness that they end up in hospital. Alcohol misuse can lead to suicide and also to unwanted pregnancies.