Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I welcome the Minister to the House. In my view, the alcohol problem in Ireland is very much the result of supply side issues such as advertising. I will commence by addressing the issue of immoral promotions to drive footfall in shops, in particular at holiday times, and the advertising of alcopops which are designed specifically for young people.

We have witnessed some cynical advertising strategies in recent years. It is all very well to say, as representatives of the drinks industry often do, that alcohol is not targeted at young people and that they are not attempting to send out to young people the message that the consumption of alcohol is associated with social success. However, people who have examined these advertising strategies have concluded that the advertising of alcohol is targeted to a considerable degree at young people, and in quite a cynical way.

The Bill, as many will say, has a relative lack of importance compared with what is actually needed and in terms of the promised legislation next term. It is timely for us to welcome it in so far as it goes and to consider what is needed if we are to deal in a serious fashion with our alcohol problem. We need to put in place serious restrictions on the advertising of alcoholic drink and its total ban in terms of its association with sport. I would like to see the printing of a health warning on all bottles, cans and advertisements for alcoholic drinks.

We need to address the proliferation of outlets for the sale of alcoholic drink. Supermarkets and filling stations facilitate the over-consumption and abuse of alcohol and make it easier for minors to access alcoholic drinks. I drive regularly from Dublin to Galway and back again and have stopped at filling stations which are shrines to alcohol in terms of how it is stocked, the prominence it is given behind the counter and so on. We are all aware of the huge increase in the number of off-licences and the increased number of areas where alcohol can be purchased. A question arises as to whether we want to tackle the issue of supply and-or demand.

Chun an fhírinne a rá, tá an rud fite fuaite. Tógfaimid faoi deara an chaoi ina bhíonn alcól ar fáil sna siopaí. Má tá sé sofheicthe ó thaobh láithriú de, is cinnte go mbíonn tionchar aige sin ar an meon agus an dearcadh a bhíonn ag daoine ina leith. Má tá sé le feiceáil, beidh sé á cheannach ag daoine.

As I said, supermarkets and filling stations are of particular concern precisely because they facilitate over-consumption of alcohol. I believe there must be strict regulation and restriction of the sale of alcoholic drinks outside licensed premises, namely, public houses, hotels and clubs. There should be restrictions on the time and day on which alcoholic drink may be sold. Cans and bottles containing alcoholic drink should be indelibly marked with the name and address of the off-licence or supermarket at which they were sold. This provision has been already passed into law but is not being implemented.

There must be restrictions on window displays of alcoholic drinks in off-licences, supermarkets and filling stations. We need to consider banning the sale of alcoholic drink at cut prices or as a loss leader. There should be an absolute ban on below-cost selling of alcohol. I am aware the legislation provides that the Minister may make regulations to ban the advertising of reduced price or free drink with the purchase of any other drink or to prohibit the sale of reduced price drink or the giving of free drink with the purchase of any other drinks or products. It is all very well to provide that the Minister may make regulations in this regard but I believe we need to go much further and ban below-cost selling of alcohol.

Everybody knows there is serious abuse of alcohol by young people who drink in parks, sheds, graveyards, along riverbanks and in other discreet places. The consequences of this practise of uncontrolled drinking of alcohol are misbehaviour, inter-personal violence, public order offences and so on. I was taken by the recommendations of the Pioneer Association in this regard. The Pioneer Association picks up on a great and noble tradition in Irish society in trying to tackle the problem of alcohol abuse through moral leadership. We should take seriously its recommendation that we outlaw the consumption of alcoholic drink outside licensed premises and its suggestion that local authorities be requested to monitor the practice of public drinking in towns and villages. I could go on but I wish to yield to my colleague Senator Ross. I look forward to further discussion on Committee Stage and urge a more serious approach to the drink problem in our society than has been the case to date.