Gabrielle McFadden (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I acknowledge the Acting Chairman's point that there are 52 amendments and all Members want to speak, and it is very important that they all speak. This is a serious Bill that will go through this House and we as policy makers should speak on it.

I accept completely the sentiments behind the Bill. I know, as others have said, that there is growing evidence that shows the impact of alcohol misuse and the harm it can do not only to the drinker but to his or her family and to society in general, the social disorder, violence and other crimes that happen and the cost to the State in terms of hospital bed occupancy. Everybody is aware of that.

The Bill aims to tackle Ireland's harmful relationship with alcohol and to encourage positive public health and safety and well-being, particularly among children, and I welcome that completely. We all see alcohol consumption every day and there is no harm in having a glass of wine every so often and nobody would argue with that, but alcohol is not an ordinary consumer product. That is something this Bill is trying to put forward and that we as a State would see that and use the licensing system to emphasise that, especially with specific excise taxes. The regulation of the way we display alcohol is important in terms of highlighting the harm it can do to families, particularly to children, in terms of over-exposure. I welcome the Bill, but I have concerns about some aspects in terms of the segregation and labelling and I am sure when we will deal with those later we can address them.