Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Many of the previous contributions did not deal with section 20 at all.

The section is not about prohibition. It is a bit disingenuous to equate alcohol with batteries and razors in a shop. I am very fond of Senator McDowell, but that is straying across the line completely because batteries and razors are not addictive, do not alter the mind and do not cause people to get into all kinds of bother as alcohol misuse can. Alcohol harm occurs in our society whether we like it or not. It causes cancer; it causes addiction; and it leads to people becoming depressed with mental health issues. That is a fact and is evidence-based. Senators should go and read the Healthy Ireland report and we can have a debate on alcohol. I am not a zealot. I take a drink and, God knows, I am good to drink. I am not a supporter of the pioneer movement, but let us be real. Let us get ourselves on this.

I commend Senator Swanick's courage in agreeing to withdraw his amendment until we come back on Report Stage. He may be a physician, but he is also a lawmaker and he recognises his duty, on which I commend him.That was a brave decision by Senator Swanick. This is a matter of denormalising alcohol because alcohol misuse affects our country. Each one of us can tell tales about our own families, extended families, communities, neighbours, friends and work colleagues who have been affected by alcohol in some way. Collectively we must reduce alcohol misuse in our society. Senator Colm Burke and I, along with other Members of this House, did not spend years working on pre-legislative scrutiny on the health committee just for the sake of getting it wrong. As part of that pre-legislative scrutiny we did not in fact recommend segregation with regard to section 20, but not for the reasons put forward by Senator McDowell. Alcohol is poisonous, whether the Senator likes it or not.

I point out to Senator Boyhan that today we have passed 25 amendments to this Bill. We certainly are getting things done: the new politics which he condemned earlier is about finding solutions to make this Bill, and this section in particular, better. This our priority on this side of the House, along with the Minister and with Members sitting opposite and on all sides. We want to make this a Bill that is workable, enforceable and that gets results. We do not want future generations of Irish citizens to condemn us for having lacked the courage to take on either big business or alcohol. I do not support anyone or anything here other than doing the right thing. This is why it is important that we make the distinction clear. Young people do not go into off-licences because they know they will not be able to buy alcohol there and that is why they ask older people to go in to buy it for them.

We are all of and from communities. Section 20 will have a profound impact on many of our friends who own, manage or work in shops. I refer here to convenience stores and not necessarily to small shops. I point out to Senator Boyhan that the Government is spending money to support young people through the sports capital programme, ETB grants, Department of Children and Youth Affairs sports grants, Department of Health lottery grants and so forth.