Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to deal with the Minister of State's response to a point I made. I did not find her comments on tackling below-cost selling very convincing. I am not only referring to her but I am at a loss to know why this approach has been taken by the Department.

Another point is that if these multiples or supermarkets buy an alcohol product that is produced in Ireland and sell it below cost in a supermarket to get people into the store to buy large quantities of alcohol, which is what they are doing, they can claim a VAT credit for it. They are claiming a VAT credit from the State and using the sale of alcohol products as a loss leader, yet we continue to stand over this. I find that incredible in the context of what we are discussing.

When will minimum unit pricing be introduced? We are talking about it, we are all in agreement on it but when will it happen? It is outside the Minister of State's control but she can do something now. I am perplexed as to why the Department of Health is not doing something about below-cost selling right now, given that everybody knows that access to very low priced alcohol originated with the big supermarkets. One does not need to have a PhD to know that. One can see as one does one's shopping. It is not the small store that has us landed with the problem of access to low-priced alcohol. The small stores are being crippled by these supermarkets, yet we are standing over this situation and have been doing so for years.

My question regarding the timing of the introduction of minimum unit pricing has not been answered. When will that happen? We can pass this legislation today and run it all through, but when will minimum unit pricing happen? The Minister of State cannot answer that. It could happen in two years or three years. We are dealing with Brexit at the moment. Is this issue at the top of the agenda in Northern Ireland? They have an awful lot on their plate. Why does the Minister of State not act regarding below-cost selling? Why should these supermarkets be able to claim tax credits for the way our system is set up? There is much talk about tax avoidance and so on in this country when it comes to multinationals. Here is a prime example. It is contributing to the problem the Minister of State is trying to solve, and it is within the gift of the Government to address it.