David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is very welcome, as is the Bill. I am a little confused. I take it we are on Amendment No. 1. Other colleagues have ranged widely, and I will not be able to resist the temptation, although I will keep it to a minimum. It seems that Amendment No. 1 would not insert something but delete something. There is a great similarity between section 1 of the Bill, as initiated, and section 1, as proposed in the amendment. Under the heading "Short title and commencement", section 1(1) reads, "This Act may be cited as the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2015." The amendment changes 2015 to 2016. Section 1(2) is exactly the same in the amendment and section 1(3) is more or less exactly the same. Are we going to have duplication? Would it not be better and correct to substitute the amendment for what is there? Otherwise, we will have duplication. I wonder why there is this duplication.

I begin the discussion on the Bill, particularly this section, from the point made in the opening of the explanatory memorandum. It is a very serious statement, as follows:

Alcohol is no ordinary product. It has major public health implications and is responsible for a considerable burden of health, social and economic harm at individual, family and societal levels.

This should give us pause. This is where we start from. It is not an ordinary problem. It has enormous implications in terms of health and finance. I am 72 years old, and have seen a very considerable change in Ireland. Like most Irish people, my roots are firmly in the bog, and I glory in the bog. All over my little bog in Laois, there were family grocery shops which were also pubs. One could go in and get a flitch of bacon and have a pint of stout in the back.There was confusion at that stage, but it was when there were local brewers - Perry's in Rathdowney, Smithwick's and, in Dublin, Guinness. We do not have that anymore and nor do we have Jameson or Powers.