Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her response and her personal commitment. The main point is that retailers are using alcohol products, particularly those with high alcohol by volume, such as whiskey and vodka, to drive footfall and increase market share. As the Minister of State said, young people today are drinking at an earlier age and drinking a variety of alcohol products. Minimum unit pricing, judging from our work on the committee and debate in the Houses of the Oireachtas, is an important part of combating cheap alcohol products. The risk to public health from such products is too great. I accept that the Minister of State's commitment is unquestionable.

It is important we ask the retailers, such as Dunnes Stores with its VALUEclub, to give money back to parents for use on baby products, not just alcohol.