Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise a matter of major importance, namely the defrauding of the State through below-cost selling. This is most prevalent among supermarkets and large retailers. When Tesco, Aldi or any other large retailer sells 24 cans of alcohol for €20 while a nearby retailer is selling at the recommended price of €30, there is a 35% loss of revenue to the State on the €10 differential. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, to the House to discuss this in the context of tackling the problem of alcohol abuse. The place to start in that regard is below-cost selling of alcohol, which is a serious issue. It is costing the State a lot of money in lost tax revenue. It is also causing problems in our health service in terms of filling up our hospital beds. This is the place to start.