James Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In deference to your comments, a Chathaoirligh, about the motion in the other House I will say only that I support what my colleague, Senator Gabrielle McFadden, has said. Sinn Féin is playing the man and not the ball and would be better advised to come up with policies.

I too wish to be associated with the comments about the Tidy Towns competition and the great work that is done by all the communities around the country. I refer in particular to Skerries and Malahide which both won gold, Swords which won silver, Lusk which won bronze and the Naul which won a prize for endeavour.

I will also comment briefly on the fake news story on the Christmas bonus. I remind Members that it was Fianna Fáil that scrapped the bonus in 2009 and the Fine Gael and Labour Party Government that reinstated it in 2014. The Government has increased the bonus several times since. I know the Minister for Finance has no notion of reducing it.

The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill has been through this House and is before the other House. It is important legislation. A number of Deputies wish to see the provision on cancer warning labels removed from the Bill. To do so would be inappropriate and ill advised. We know from our discussions in this House that the World Health Organization, WHO, has determined alcohol to be a class 1 carcinogen. Approximately 900 Irish people are diagnosed with an alcohol-related cancer every single year. Alcohol can cause seven types of cancer, namely, cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, breast and liver and colorectal colon cancer. More than half of the mouth, head and neck cancers diagnosed in Ireland are associated with alcohol. Alcohol also increases the level of oestrogen in the blood, thereby increasing the risk of breast cancer.

What are we afraid of? Is it allowing the public to know the risk they are subjecting themselves to? We have no right as legislators to deprive people of that information, in particular young people. The earlier one starts to drink, the more likely one is to have a problem. Young people need to know that alcohol is dangerous. When consumed in moderation it can be a great social lubricant but, sadly, many people in this country drink excessively and our relationship with alcohol has been extremely damaging to society at many different levels. I know this is the Order of Business but this is something I feel passionate about. I have always been a strong exponent of protecting young people until they are old enough to make their own decisions and ensuring that adults and children alike are informed of the nature of the product they are consuming.