Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

All of these mean substantial additional costs for business. Alcohol greatly reduces productivity and for this reason also we must tackle it.

In 2009 the then Government established a steering group to examine this problem because it is long recognised that there is a problem and in recent times there has been a desire to address this. A steering group was established which was chaired by the chief medical officer at the Department of Health and Children. It comprises representatives of all of the relevant Departments and agencies and various interests including the alcohol industry. I am not sure I would have included the industry in the steering group if I had established it myself but this is what we have to work with. I was anxious that the steering group would complete its work because it was three quarters of the way through when the issue landed on my desk. The group has been considering all aspects of our alcohol problem and it is putting the finishing touches to its report. I will take this report and consider it, and it will form the basis of a comprehensive action plan to be drawn up by the Government to once and for all address our national problem with alcohol.

The point has been made that minimum pricing on its own is not the solution and I do not suggest for one moment that it is a panacea. It is an important element in the armoury for tackling the problem but we need to address the problem on many other fronts also. I hope we will have an action plan at an early stage in the new year and that we can move forward in producing the legislation and discussing it in this House and the Dáil.

I am very much heartened by the cross-party support for taking serious action in this area. People very much accept that we cannot delay any longer and that we need to tackle it and change our attitudes and behaviour towards alcohol. Several weeks ago, I made a presentation to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children and I know it has engaged in a series of meetings in this area. I am convinced that every party and all independents are keen to move on this. I hope to bring the report of the steering group to the joint committee so we can consider it, have additional input or recommendations, or add to the recommendations already made. I hope we will be able to move forward early next year on a cross-party basis recognising the difficulties that alcohol causes and the huge damage it does on a personal and community level in the country and that we can come up with a comprehensive package.

In addition to the cross-party political response, I hope other leaders in society will also get involved. I am thinking in terms of employers' groups, unions, churches and sporting bodies. With regard to sporting bodies, the issue of the close correlation between sporting activity and alcohol abuse was raised. Sporting activity is great and we all love watching it and many people participate but there is an issue in this regard. We also need parents' bodies to be involved. As a society we need to address it in this comprehensive way. I believe the time is right. The motion is very timely and if we do as I expect we will shortly and have cross-party support and a unanimous vote in favour of the motion it will send out a very clear signal. It is a very important step for the Seanad to take, to show we are serious about tackling this problem and that we will do so.