Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will stick with the section. In case it is not vodka about which Senator McDowell is concerned, gin will increase in price from €15.99 to €20.71. That is the minimum unit pricing we are talking about.

The Bill is not just about one issue, it is about a number of them. There is no proposal to marginalise people who drink alcohol. The Bill is about a balanced approach to the consumption of alcohol. Everyone wants to enjoy a drink and the legislation is not about banning alcohol. It is about approaching it in a different and more reasonable way and about helping people by reducing the health risks arising. If one spends a night in any accident and emergency unit in the State, one will find that over 30% of those admitted are there because of excessive use of alcohol. As we sit here tonight, more than 2,000 hospital beds are being occupied as a direct result of excessive use of alcohol. Therefore, we have a duty to provide leadership on this issue.

The way in which the Minister has approached this matter is the correct one. While we have to compromise on certain issues and will not deliver everything one side or the other wants, we want to bring about change in order that, over a period, everyone in the country will benefit. The Bill will achieve this. I hope the Minister can come back with a compromise which is acceptable and which will work. Those aspects of the Bill which introduce regulations can be reviewed, but it is important to set up the framework and move on from there to ensure we address the excessive consumption of alcohol by a large number of people.