Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I would also like a debate on the issue of alcohol. As somebody who takes a pint, I am genuinely concerned about and outraged by the possibility that the Minister for Finance will propose a reduction in the level of tax charged on alcohol products in the Budget Statement later today. The level of consumption of alcohol in Ireland is one of the highest in the world. As a nation, we have a serious alcohol problem. It has been accentuated, rather than addressed, by the Government's policies on the opening and closing hours of pubs and the operation of off-licences. The epidemic of alcohol abuse evident in off-licences and pubs in our cities and towns needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. The funding given to rehabilitation and treatment centres by the HSE and the Department of Health and Children has been cut. A debate on these matters is urgently required.