James Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this section on labelling and consider it critically important. Information is power; knowledge is power. The public has not been getting information. I am particularly pleased about the attention drawn here to the calorific content of alcohol and the amount of obesity it causes. As I have mentioned before, alcohol causes gastritis, which makes one want food; it causes hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, which makes one want to eat; it is full of calories; and it interferes with the individual's self-control. All of these are major factors when it comes to obesity. The section would be improved by Senator Nash's suggestion, though I hope that he would allow the Minister time to refine the wording between now and Report Stage so that we can get the best final wording possible. There will be a huge impact on people if they come to realise that this product does in fact cause cancer of the mouth, the pharynx, the gullet, the liver, the colorectal area, and so forth. Many do not realise that this is a very serious issue. If they understood that, they would be more careful about the amount of alcohol they consume.