Imelda Henry (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I take this opportunity to congratulate the Minister of State on his appointment and wish him well in his post.

We know about the serious problem of alcohol abuse in this country. Approximately 60% of alcohol sales are off-trade now, and gone are the days when people drank in a controlled environment, that is, the pub. If one entered a pub having had too much to drink, one was not served. If one had too much to drink in a pub, one was asked to leave. Generally speaking publicans, and I am one myself, run very good houses. The problem now with alcohol abuse is the availability and the price.

Alcohol is available in too many places, including supermarkets, small shops and petrol stations. I do not know, however, if we can change this. Every week, particularly on Sunday, advertisements in the newspapers promote cheap alcohol. We all know that a bottle of beer is cheaper than a bottle of water. In January the Joint Committee on Health and Children was shown pictures of selection boxes sitting on top of slabs of beer in a certain supermarket. I recall a campaign which promoted cheap alcohol for First Holy Communion celebrations. Some young people purchase alcohol in the local supermarket and get tanked up at home before going to the pub. This often leads to anti-social behaviour and, in some cases, publicans are wrongly blamed. The joint committee spent several months investigating this issue and our report has been submitted to the Minister of State. I ask him to ensure it is not allowed to gather dust on the shelf, which is the fate of too many reports.

I have spoken previously about educating young people about the harmful effects of alcohol. The north-west alcohol forum runs a very good education programme in counties Sligo, Donegal and Leitrim. I would love to see this programme being expanded throughout the country. Earlier this week I heard an individual who lives in Denmark speak on radio. He stated that even though alcohol was more widely available and cheaper in Denmark, it did not give rise to the problems experienced in Ireland. We need to educate our young people while they are in national school.

I have spoken on many occasions about minimum prices. The reality is that such policies will not work. Scotland has run into difficulties with European competition law in trying to implement a policy on minimum pricing and had to delay its plans by up to three years. We are in the same position.

The code of practice is not adhered to and section 9 of the legislation should have been implemented a long time ago. Alcohol should be stored in a segregated area with a separate cash register manned by a mature person. Senators have argued that small shops cannot afford to implement such changes, but when the smoking ban was introduced, publicans made the case that it would be too expensive to provide a proper smoking area. That was a health issue and this is the same.

We recently discussed the gathering with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. He wants pubs to get involved. Pubs provide good food and are places where visitors can hear traditional music. However, our trade has almost died. Senators may think I am biased, but I feel strongly about the issue of alcohol abuse. I hope the Minister of State will deal with the issue urgently.