Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

Is mór agam deis a fháil labhairt ar an díospóireacht seo. Mar duine a d'oibrigh le daoine a bhíonn deacrachtaí acu le cúrsaí alcóil, sílim gur rún iontach tábhachtach é an rún seo. Cuireann Sinn Féin fáilte roimh na moltaí atá sa rún atá romhainn anocht. In general, Sinn Féin supports the motion. I have a particular interest in this area and I worked with a number of professionals in the west of Ireland in respect of it. I am, therefore, very much aware of the problems to which alcohol can give rise.

Not for the first time today, I must admit that I am obliged to agree with a great deal of what Senator Hayden said. This is an extremely broad-ranging issue and, as a result, is very difficult to discuss alcohol-related matters separately from each other. Alcohol abuse does not merely come down to the fact that people can go to their local supermarket and purchase cheap drink. Such abuse relates to societal factors, to the backgrounds of those who engage in it, to the fact that some people are medically predisposed to drink alcohol and to difficulties in respect of financial or other personal matters. We must engage in a broader debate on this matter.

I spoke to a professional involved in this area in Galway and was informed that one of the biggest problems in that part of the country did not just relate to cheap alcohol but also to the mixing of such alcohol with certain caffeine-containing drinks. The latter caused people to have blackouts and complete lapses of memory. There is a need, therefore, to examine this issue in a much more wide-ranging fashion and everyone is aware that the debate in which we are engaged is extremely important.

I do not wish to regurgitate some of the statistics that have already been put forward in respect of the harm which alcohol can cause. It is not just the people who are involved in drinking who are affected; their immediate families, relatives, friends, work colleagues, etc., can also be affected. Monday morning syndrome gives rise to huge rates of absenteeism in the workplace and also to major sorrow and anger on the part of those who are affected by it. According to the North-West Alcohol Forum, one in every three child abuse cases involves alcohol. That is a startling and terrifying statistic. In addition, one is seven child welfare cases are alcohol related. As a result of dealing with people in the areas in which they reside, I am sure other Senators can attest to the fact these statistics reflect reality.

Alcohol is also a factor in many violent crimes and road accidents. This is all linked to the fact that alcohol is being sold at extremely low prices and, in some instances, below cost. Some 271,000 children under the age of 15 are exposed to risk as a result of parental drinking. A total of 1.37 million adults - including 72.9% of 18 to 24 year olds - engage in hazardous drinking on a regular basis. The numbers of those under 18 years of age who engage in such drinking is also likely to be quite high. In such circumstances, I agree with Senator Mooney that this issue is extremely broad in nature and that we must deal with it in a wide-ranging way. As someone who lives in a rural area, I am very aware of the latter.

One of the caveats I have in respect of the motion is that it is very easy to focus on the selling of cheap alcohol. There are certain people who are quite strapped for cash at present and who do not have the option of travelling to the nearest city, town or whatever in order to socialise. As previous speakers indicated, there is no late-night transport system for such individuals. We must ensure that any measures relating to the pricing of alcohol do not affect those on low incomes. The fact that someone earns less money is no reason to deny him or her the possibility of being able to socialise or purchase - as is his or her right - an alcoholic beverage in the local shop and enjoy drinking it at home because he or she does not have the option of going to a pub, a nightclub or whatever. There is a need to ensure that the Government provides proper funding in respect of the rural transport programme and other public transport systems in order that people will have the option to socialise at night.

In its 2010 strategy on reducing the harmful use of alcohol, the World Health Organization, WHO, calls for special attention to be paid to reducing harm to people other than drinkers and to populations, including children, that are at particular risk. Sinn Féin is in wholehearted agreement with this and has consistently attempted to ensure that the sale of alcohol, North and South, should be properly regulated and secure. We have continually argued against below-cost selling and made strenuous efforts and attempts to both highlight and stop it. We have also been extremely active in campaigning against the cash-on-delivery sale of alcohol. Sinn Féin is of the view that addressing the impact of alcohol on public health must be the major imperative and determining factor influencing the Department of Health and other Departments. Like the broader community, we recognise that alcohol is not merely another tradeable commodity.

Worldwide medical evidence demonstrates that alcohol, unlike benign or healthful products, is a drug that, when misused, is second only to tobacco use as a preventable cause of death and hospitalisation. The direct and indirect costs of alcohol misuse are well documented and while there is a clear onus on individuals to ensure they use alcohol wisely, there is also a very clear responsibility to have controls in place and adequate preventive measures to warn people - particularly the young - of the long-term effects of binge or heavy drinking. There has been a marked change in the patterns of drinking among young people in particular during the past ten years and statistics show that increasing numbers of them are misusing alcohol. Children as young as 11 have already begun drinking and Ireland has one of the highest levels of binge drinking among 15 to 16 year olds in Europe.

Alcohol misuse can lead to a number of problems for the individuals concerned, their families and the community in general. Young people are more vulnerable to suffering physical, emotional and social harm from drinking alcohol and it can lead to their having mental health problems or becoming involved in antisocial activity. In some instances, it can lead to their committing more serious crimes. Alcohol Action Ireland has raised a number of points, with which I concur, regarding the need to deal with pricing in order that we might tackle the issue of consumption. This issue was also raised in the WHO framework strategy, which sets out a number of objectives for the reduction of harmful use of alcohol, in particular reducing its use among the young. This follows on from previous European alcohol action plans which made similar points.

Successive action plans have recommended particular actions in order to achieve the outcomes to which I refer. These include: developing a taxation policy which will ensure a high real price of alcohol, taxation based on alcohol volume - that is, higher taxes on alcoholic beverages with a higher alcohol content - and the provision of non-alcoholic beverages at low prices; using alcohol taxes to fund alcohol control activities, including health education, research into alcohol policy, and support to health services at both local and national levels; and controlling the availability of alcohol by restricting, or at least keeping in check, the number of outlets where alcohol is sold under licensing laws, limiting the number of licences and restricting hours of sale. It would be great if the Minister of State could indicate the extent to which we have succeeded in complying with the WHO's strategy framework and make a statement in respect of the recommendations to which I refer.

Alcohol can often be purchased at a price which is lower than that charged for bottled water. This is very worrying and requires serious consideration. What sort of message does it send out that for the same price as it would cost to attend a football match, a person can purchase 16 or 18 cans of beer or several litres of cider? As someone who has experience of close friends and neighbours being affected by severe alcoholism, I am conscious of the fact that much of what we are discussing is extremely subjective in nature. It is difficult to pinpoint who will or will not become an alcoholic. As a result, it is important that the State should put in place every support possible in order that we might assist those who get into trouble with alcohol. Anecdotal evidence indicates that the number of centres at which people can "dry out" is far too small. The supports available through the alcohol and drug addition services are simply not adequate in the context of dealing with the demand, particularly that which exists among young people. We do not really have any centres which are dedicated to dealing with young people who have problems with alcohol. There may be one or two such centres but as far as I am aware there are only ten or 20 places available at these facilities.

Tá sé iontach tábhachtach go rachaimid i ngleic leis an gceist seo. Tá sé tábhachtach go bhfuil an rún seo os ár gcomhair inniu. Caithfimid dul i ngleic leis na deacrachtaí i measc an phobail freisin. There have been cutbacks in the local development social inclusion programme. In rural and disadvantaged areas, it is extremely important that young people in particular are encouraged to remain active. They must be given something to do and funding must be provided in respect of sports clubs, community activities, etc. If these individuals are not involved in either gainful employment or a particular activity, they can tend to band together into groups and become involved in drinking. It is important that in the upcoming budget the Government should put forward measures which will assist young people - specifically those in disadvantaged communities - to remain in education, create employment for them and provide single parents and others with access to the labour market.