Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is a matter of survival, yes.

The culture of alcohol in our society must change. Structured separation will not bring this about in itself. Perhaps we should have gone down the road of the café bar culture promised some years ago. I supported the concept at the time. Where I live in Curraheen Road in Bishopstown, for example, there are ten outlets within a stretch of less than a mile where one can buy or consume alcohol. That is crazy.

In our pre-legislative scrutiny we did not recommend the imposition of what is now known as structural separation, primarily because we felt that it should be put on a statutory code. Let me remind the House that structural separation was part of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008, which was voted for by Members of this House, some of whom are still here. Let me also remind Members that wine was excluded from that particular Act. The health committee supported the concept of structural separation but, mindful of what the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland has said about the placement of alcohol, we did not call for it be imposed on retailers. I very much hope that we can get to the stage where we can have a change to section 20 and introduce some kind of compromise. I worked with very good people on that committee in the past, people like Padraic White and various people from different industries who were very genuine and wanted to work with all of us. This is not a matter of diluting this Bill or of allowing one side to emerge as victors or losers. This is a matter of all of us, as public legislators and Members of the Upper House, taking our responsibilities seriously and marrying the need to address the misuse of alcohol with the needs of the retail industry. As Senator Coffey has rightly said, retailers should not be treated as pariahs. They are, in my opinion, responsible people. I often hear people talking about the impact of structural separation, drink driving, and social isolation on rural Ireland. What, however, of the man or woman living in rural Ireland who does not drink? They are still socially isolated and this is a fundamental question to which we must return.

Let us get the result right. Let us ensure that we pass a Bill that is workable, enforceable and that achieves results. I commend the Minister on his willingness to engage on section 20. I will conclude by again thanking Senator Swanick for the spirit of co-operation he has shown here tonight. I do not wish to pick a fight with Senator McDowell. He is a former Minister and I accept that he achieved many good things. Embracing a level of populism to pursue an argument is fine but public health is far too serious a matter for us to do nothing about. We have to do something.