Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this issue. I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Andrews, who has responsibility for children for coming to the House to respond.

The problem is we often blame alcohol abuse on children, but they are only following the example set by adults and what is considered normal in our culture. I am not a teetotaller, but I accept that we need to address the issue of alcohol pricing. The budget will be announced next week and many will say that, like cigarettes, we need to increase the cost of alcohol to minimise consumption. I come from a Border region and know there is a bigger issue which we need to try to address at British Isles level. If the United Kingdom and Ireland operated a similar system, we would be able to cope with it. I engaged in many debates last year, including on Radio Ulster and Radio Foyle, in which I raised the issue of a comparable VAT rate between Ireland and the United Kingdom and I was in the unusual position where I received great support from the Unionist community. I thought it would challenge what I had to say on radio, but it agreed with me. Has there been any advance made on this issue? Have talks taken place with the United Kingdom and, in particular, the authorities in the North on alcohol pricing? People travel abroad to purchase alcohol, although it is more likely that people from the United Kingdom will travel to France in vans to purchase alcohol than it is for people to bring in substantial quantities of alcohol into Ireland by aeroplane.

I raise the issue of the labelling of alcohol products. Unlike the Minister of State and Senator MacSharry who do not have to worry about their weight, I fluctuate from one extreme to the other. When I am on a diet, I read the salt, calorie, sugar and saturated fat content on food products, but when it comes to alcohol, I am only aware of one product in respect of which it is stated it contains 28 calories per 100 ml. I can choose that product on a night out, or I can guess what other products contain. I have said previously that there is a market for diet alcohol which we are not exploiting. Recently I spoke to somebody at the Vintners Association of Ireland pre-budget briefing and was informed that there was available a light version of a product along the lines of Baileys which was being exported to America. There are research options for people to look at to give us a choice as when we are dieting, we not only worry about our food intake but also our alcohol consumption.

I received the Alcohol Action Ireland plan, Tackling the Financial Hangover: Pre Budget Submission, which states the average cost of alcohol per taxpayer is approximately €3,318. The cost to the State is estimated to be €3.7 billion; the cost to the health care system, €1.2 billion, and the cost in terms of crime, €1.2 billion. The figure in respect of road collisions is estimated to be €5.26 million, while the figure for lost output owing to absences from work is estimated to be €330 million.

We have a culture not of alcohol use but alcohol abuse with which we must deal. Alcohol is linked with every celebration, commemoration, etc. We must, therefore, be more coherent in the plans we adopt to tackle the issue. I look forward to the Minister of State's response.