David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State talks about demand and supply as if this was simply an economic situation, which it is not. Taking at a superficial level the question of tackling demand, there is nothing whatever to suggest that demand has decreased as a result of this. Any purported statements that this is the situation have been completely undermined by Swedish academics. When the Minister of State was talking, I said "What about prohibition? Did that work?". Worse than that, the Minister of State is not even suggesting prohibition. He is suggesting decriminalising the bootleggers and criminalising the drinkers. It is completely daft. I will have a great deal more to say about that when we get to discuss the section.