Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I second Senator Darragh O'Brien's amendment to the Order of Business.

I join with other speakers in welcoming the proposed legislation to ban below-cost selling of alcohol. I understand the heads of the Bill will be published today or tomorrow. If this is to be successful, it must be approached on an all-Ireland basis. There is no point in implementing legislation governing the Twenty-six Counties which does not involve some type of co-operation or similar legislation in the Six Counties. Those in the part of the country from where I come live less than seven miles from the Border. As it stands, regularly, particularly coming up to Christmas and other occasions such as Easter, huge convoys of people travel from as far away as Cork and Kerry to the North of Ireland to purchase alcohol. Even with below-cost sales of alcohol in our supermarkets, people still travel to the North of Ireland because they can get it cheaper. This may have changed with the difference in the currencies. Any measures to deal with below-cost selling of alcohol will not work without a Thirty-two-County approach.

A major education programme should be launched in secondary schools. During the late 1970s and 1980s a huge emphasis was placed on an anti-smoking campaign, which was, in my opinion, hugely successful. I was part of a class of 28 in secondary school only one of whom smoked because from first year to fifth year we had periodic classes showing us the dangers of smoking. If the same approach were taken to teaching our young people, starting in first year of secondary school, the harm that abuse of alcohol can cause, it would be money well worth spending. Like Senator MacSharry, I believe some of the money should be ring-fenced for educational purposes as well as for suicide prevention.