Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I echo the advocacy of my colleague, Senator Black, regarding the action that needs to be taken to support the work of the Irish Community Action on Alcohol Network, ICAAN, in particular. Last week's report by the Health Research Board contained shocking statistics. There was a doubling of alcohol-related discharges from hospitals, a trebling of cases of alcohol-related liver disease and an average of three deaths per day related to alcohol in the country. That is frightening.

For nearly a year, I have been advocating on changing the legislation on alcohol deliveries to homes or addressing the practice through regulation, which is possible. Experts in the field predict that a tsunami is approaching of people who have relapsed from their alcohol abstinence and are using alcohol as a coping mechanism during this period. Could we at least arrest deliveries to homes where there is no checking of IDs or the capacity of the person receiving the alcohol to take it on board? Unfortunately, it is not unlawful currently. These types of checks are exhibited by supermarkets carrying out deliveries or in off-licences or pubs.

With the support of Ms Constance Cassidy, SC, and Mr. David Dodd, both of whom have volunteered their services from the Law Library, ICAAN has identified where the regulations could be changed. I support its work and call on the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, to address this issue as quickly as possible. He is open to doing so. We need to address alcohol consumption and alcohol deliveries.

I thank the Minister for Health for last week changing the arrangements around families involved in surrogacy coming home from Ukraine. It has been a great relief. I am in regular contact with a large number of families who are travelling with their new babies. The idea that they can quarantine at home is a great step forward and I appreciate how quickly the response was to the advocacy in that regard.