Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and thank her for bringing forward the Bill. There is overall agreement that we need to tackle the drink problem. We have major problems in our health service and regarding many issues surrounding drink. The University of Sheffield, which was contracted by the Northern Ireland Executive, made a presentation to the previous Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children on how we can deal with this growing problem. It produced some interesting results. The Minister of State mentioned the knock-on difficulties we are having outside of health. Reducing the level of alcohol consumption would reduce the number of deaths associated with the abuse of alcohol, crime and work absenteeism, which is a major issue. People staying away from work due to excessive drinking is a great loss to employers. The latter is an issue which we do not debate.

Medical practitioners in accident and emergency departments tell me the numbers of cases involving excessive drinking of alcohol coming in continues to increase, especially in the hours after 10 p.m. Between 1,500 and 2,000 hospital beds are occupied at any one time by people with health difficulties directly related to excessive drinking. It is interesting to read the University of Sheffield report. It is important that we realise the difficulties we face. The report states:

The evidence estimates that within the overall population aged 18+, the proportion of people who don’t drink, drink at low risk (less than 16.8 std. drinks per week for men and 11.2 for women), increasing risk (16.8 - 40 std. drinks per week for men and 11.2 - 28 for women), and high risk (more than 40 std. drinks per week for men and 28 for women) levels are 22.1%, 56.3% and 16.4% and 5.2%, respectively.

While the number of high risk drinkers is small, we also need to deal with the 16.4% who drink more than the recommended limit for low-risk consumption. They are also at risk. The report also states:

Low risk drinkers consume on average 4.5 standard drinks per week, spending €508 per annum on alcohol. Increasing risk drinkers consume 21.9 standard drinks per week, spending €2,218 per annum and high risk drinkers consume on average 62.5 standard drinks per week, spending €5,120 per annum.

The number going into the high-risk category, above the recommended consumption limit, is continuing to increase. Our alcohol consumption per head of population is one of the highest among OECD countries. We need to start dealing with it. Nobody has any objection to people drinking socially. It is the health difficulties we need to address.

The Bill sets out minimum unit pricing. I fully understand that it must be a co-ordinated approach with the Northern Ireland authorities. In the provinces of Canada, the introduction of minimum unit pricing has created a benefit for the community, health service and general population. We cannot continue to ignore the trend whereby young people start binge drinking at a very early age. It is open season, particularly in our colleges between September and Christmas. I have seen it during recent weeks. I do not live far from University College Cork, where it is dangerous to drive. Even at 8 p.m., I have seen people who have been drinking all day. We need to deal with the issue. We need to do a huge amount of work in education. We have done it for smoking. We should not take just one approach. The Bill is not the only action we need to consider.

People may not like some elements of the Bill. We may have to compromise on some of the elements it contains.