Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to point out something stark. I wrote about the matter in 2013. There are 1,200 cases of cancer every year owing to alcohol. No one wants to talk about this. I only heard it mentioned on "Morning Ireland" recently. Alcohol causes cancer of the liver, mouth, throat, oesophagus, breast and large bowel. We do not hear about any of this. It is a drug with toxic and intoxicating effects. In 2012, we topped the poll for heavy binge drinking. Drinking three to six standard drinks per day increases the risk of breast cancer by 41%. Women, especially young girls, would like to hear this. One person dies every seven hours in Ireland from an alcohol-related illness. One does not need to say much more.

I wish to discuss the large retailers who have appeared at the tops and bottoms of our towns and closed down small retailers and are doing what they like, particularly as regards alcohol. They can advertise and price it at will. One can get some alcohol for nothing if one buys enough. I would not like to see them closing down the small retailer who is trying hard to be responsible. They are the ones running amok. The largest Tesco in Ireland is in Naas. It is bigger than the town. What kind of planning went into that?

My argument contains a contradiction. People must be told that alcohol can cause cancer. The only way to achieve the latter is through education. I was reared in a town where there were 18 pubs. I know all about alcohol and what it can do to people and families. That is no one's preserve. Some of us in the Chamber were reared around and beaten in such situations.

The contradiction relates to the separation and the large retailers against the small Spar or Centra shops that are doing their best to stay open all hours of the day and night. I am talking about convenience stores against the large stores. My colleagues are correct. We will have brochures through our doors that are larger than gifts in any Christmas hamper telling us when and how cheaply we can get booze. It will not necessarily be the best booze either because sometimes we do not know where the vodka is coming from.

I will speak to certain amendments further, but the issue of cancer must be discussed. We talk about cancer in every other way but we are afraid to discuss it in terms of alcohol because the latter has a huge lobby behind it.