Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister, his staff and the Department for staying with this matter. The Bill was introduced in the Seanad on 11 December 2015. The third anniversary of its introduction is approaching and there has been a long series of debates in both Houses. The legislation is welcome but I accept what my colleague, Senator Lombard, said about Northern Ireland and the important point of co-ordination on minimum unit pricing. We need to be aware of the risks of introducing minimum unit pricing and it is important the issue is worked on together with Northern Ireland.

We have a great deal of work to do on the education of young people. We still need to ensure we get the message out at an early stage. This is welcome legislation. Obviously, regulation will be introduced over a period and the Minister will introduce regulations when the time is right. I thank the Minister, his staff and all the parties involved, including all the political parties, the Independent Senators and Deputies and Members from the various political parties in both Houses.