Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Let us get back to basics. We are here to protect public health. We have just inserted child protection into the preamble of the Bill. We need to keep the focus on that. We have heard from Members and from my experience working on the front line, I know of the destructive effect of alcohol on families.

We discussed minimum unit pricing, which was contentious. I am glad that these amendments have been withdrawn and that there will be further discussion on them because this is the other contentious issue. I am absolutely for structural division and the lack of visibility, however that is worked out. That is my default position and neither I nor my party will move from it.

Alcohol does not need to be visible for people to know it is there. Replacing the "not" with "immediately" should be opposed. Alcohol may end up beside food products, thereby defeating the aim of the Bill. If it is visible that goes against the spirit of the Bill. I do not want it weakened. I am not demonising small shops, I use them in my own area. I was asked to sign a petition in the one around the corner from my home. The petition was very exaggerated and misinformed. It is a scaremongering tactic by the bigger lobbyists I imagine. The local shops are embedded in our communities and are more user-friendly and concerned and have ownership of how we buy our goods. I look forward to the amendments coming back when they have been tweaked following consultation. I cannot and will not move from the visibility and separation issue. I hope to be able to support the amendments when they return and look forward to reading and assessing them then.