John Gilroy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I am glad the Bill has at last come into the Chamber. It is very far reaching and the Minister is to be commended for his diligence and doggedness in pursuing the measures proposed in the Bill.

To discover that Ireland is in the top five countries in Europe for alcohol consumption is no surprise. The other four share a commonality with us in that we are all northern countries. What is it about the psyche of those of us who live in northern Europe in particular that gives rise to a different type of relationship with alcohol than that of people who live in the Mediterranean region?