Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join other Members in commending Senator Lawless on bringing forward this sensible legislation. I compliment him on his contribution in the House to date. Like many other Senators, he is new to the House but he is leaving his mark and the Bill is one example of that. When the prohibition was first introduced, the concept of drinking alcohol at home was a non-entity because no-one ever did that. Unfortunately, in today's world more and more people are drinking at home. That is not a good thing. I encourage people who want to have a drink to go to a public house to do so because when one is at home - and I take the odd tipple myself at home - the temptation is to open the bottle and not pay much attention to the measures one is consuming. When one is in a pub, measures are calculated and one knows how much alcohol one is getting. The ship has sailed a long time ago on the issue addressed by the Bill. It is sensible legislation that I fully support. I compliment Senator Lawless again on bringing it forward.