Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am constantly raising this issue but I will raise it again. I was quite taken aback by a briefing held in the Houses last week by various experts in the area of alcohol-related illnesses. It is now the case that such illnesses claim the lives of between three and seven people daily. Apart from the obvious human tragedy, there is also a great social and economic cost to the country, with an estimated cost in monetary terms of €3.7 billion annually. Report after report has indicated the path we are on. The national substance misuse strategy steering group has shown that alcohol is a significant factor in suicide, sexual and physical assault and murder. Allied to this is the serious rise in liver damage, particularly, sadly, among young people. The health authorities have acknowledged their responsibility to inform the Oireachtas and I believe we are quite informed at this stage. It is beyond time for us to tackle this issue in a serious way. Lifestyle issues and the role of alcohol in the lives of young people must be seriously examined. We are all aware that the smoking and drinking driving bans faced strong-----