Larry Butler (Fianna Fail)

I join with previous speakers who wished our new Taoiseach and his Cabinet well. I congratulate my colleague, Deputy Barry Andrews, on his new position in which I am sure he will do extremely well.

I wish to raise an issue with the new Minister for Finance. I ask him to examine the inflation basket. Alcohol and tobacco are currently included in it but they should not be. There should be a new approach taken.

I ask the new Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to review the current system for the licensing of nightclubs. The regulations must be tightened. Some 5,200 people who presented in accident and emergency departments last year were there because of alcohol related injury or illness. A total of 2,995 people received treatment last year for psychiatric problems related to excessive consumption of alcohol. When one factors in the increased incidence of suicide among those experiencing problems with alcohol abuse, one can see it is a three dimensional problem. Tobacco and alcohol must be removed from the consumer price index. It would be helpful to increase the taxation on these products which cause significant problems for the health system. The figures to which I refer indicate that more than 8,000 people experienced health problems last year as a result of the consumption of alcohol. Increased taxation is the only way of dealing with the problem effectively. Will the Leader of the House invite the Minister to discuss the possibility of removing these two items from the consumer price index?