Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We had many hours of debate in this House on the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. We noted quite recently that many members of the public are of the view that off-licences should be closed. I do not agree but I cannot understand why the Government has not at this stage implemented minimum unit pricing, which is included in the legislation. There was a big debate on this at the time regarding the prices in the North and South. At this time, people cannot travel from either jurisdiction given the travel restrictions. I therefore call on the Leader to liaise with the Minister for Health in order to introduce minimum unit pricing. The Government should liaise with the authorities in Northern Ireland and reach a joint agreement in this regard. This is the opportune time to do that.