Feargal Quinn (Independent)

They were to introduce random breath testing, to reduce the blood alcohol limit to the European norm and to reduce that limit to zero in the case of drivers with a provisional licence. That none of those recommendations have been implemented is a scandal. No doubt, we will hear again in this debate ministerial promises that random breath testing is on the way. My response is that I will believe it when I see it in action. It is almost three years since I devoted my Private Members' time on 21 November 2001 to a motion calling on the Government to introduce random breath testing without further delay. I thought I received a positive response but, three years later, we are still in the realm of promises.

With regard to one of the task force's recommendations, which concerns controlling the promotion of alcohol, the report rightly points out: "Alcohol advertising promotes and reinforces positive attitudes about drinking and portrays drinking as fun, glamorous and risk free." In Ireland, research showed that children were strongly attracted to alcohol advertising and that young people believed advertisements were targeted at their age group. The report also stated: "More recent research reports that alcohol sports sponsorship has an effect similar to alcohol advertising." While large sums were mentioned by Senator MacSharry, according to the report, in 2002 no less than €43.2 million was spent in Ireland on alcohol advertising and God knows how much more on sponsorship.

I have a specific proposal in regard to spending on advertising and sponsorship. I suggest that the Government impose a 100% levy on all spending by alcohol producers on advertising and sponsorship and that it ring-fences the yield from that levy for spending on advertising and educational initiatives that highlight the dangers of excessive drinking and the attractions of a lifestyle that avoids it.

We are engaged in a battle for the hearts and minds of the people in an effort to change what are now deeply ingrained patterns in how we live. How we change attitudes is in our own hands but it cannot all be done by law. We need a focused marketing campaign. I suggest this be undertaken with the money gained if we impose a 100% levy on the advertising of alcohol. We should then ring-fence that money and use it to promote the benefits of healthy, alcohol-free living. The least we can do in this battle is meet the promotional force of the alcohol producers on equal terms. Under my proposal, doing so would cost the State nothing whatsoever.

Other proposals have been made during the debate. It was suggested that every unit sold from an off-licence should be labelled with the name and address of the off-licence. This should not be considered because it is not possible to prove an off-licence sold the alcohol to a young person. If young people were found with labelled alcohol, it could have been stolen from home or an adult might have bought it. Such a measure would be difficult to prove and would not have much benefit. In saying that, I declare an interest as the owner of a number of off-licences in supermarkets.

Some matters cannot be solved by legislation, as was mentioned when the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform was in the House last week. In that debate, I referred to a visit to Salt Lake City in Utah, where my wife and I joined another couple for a meal in a restaurant. When I ordered white wine and my wife ordered red wine, my host told me this was awkward because the law in Utah states that one cannot have two bottles of alcohol on a table at one time in a restaurant. I had not known this but, being a gentleman, I switched to red wine. When we finished that, we switched to white wine. I mention this to illustrate my point that we should not try to solve every matter by legislation. Let us find a way to persuade the population of the benefits of being free of drink.

The report is quite right on the figures. We have the second highest consumption of alcohol in Europe, Luxembourg being the only country with a higher rate. However, an interesting statistic is that we have more teetotallers and Pioneers.