Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

These are all entirely technical consequential amendments arising from the insertion of the warning on the link between alcohol and fatal cancers, so the amendments do not relate to that debate, which was settled in this House and revisited in the other House.We had a debate on how best to address the matter and whether it should be done by regulations or primary legislation. Senators had clear views on this. Senators Nash and Black, among others, showed leadership and introduced amendments to the Bill on Committee and Report Stages that were accepted. We debated the matter again in the Dáil. That link remains in the primary legislation. As a result, several technical amendments are necessary. The amendments ensure that the warnings are included with other labelling warnings on health and the environment.

Amendment No. 4 inserted a reference to the warnings in section 12(10)(a) and this allows the Minister of Health to make regulations specifying the form of the warnings. Amendments Nos. 8 and 9, which moved the word "and" from subsection 2(b) to subsection 2(c), are genuinely technical. Amendments Nos. 10 to 12, inclusive, inserted a reference to the warning into sections 13(4) and 13(5). These provisions relate to the powers of the Minister for Health to make regulations. Amendment No. 13 inserted a reference to the warnings into section 13(7). Amendment No. 14 amends section 18(6) to correct numbering errors and to align the subsection with the policy intention behind it.