Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What this Bill and this discussion have done is highlighted the lack of consultants and highlighted the fact that we, as the Government, have made those promises, announced the positions and they have not been put in place. Collectively, the Government has to take responsibility for that and to make sure both that people are recruited to fill those positions and that the numbers are increased. We need to put further investment into the Department of Health and into an advertising campaign to promote breastfeeding.

I fully support Senator Black, and I am a member of the Oireachtas committee. We put forward in our recommendations a proposal to ban the advertising of alcohol. There was a group of students in the House today and they are the young people of 13 and 14 years of age who are on social media. They are being bombarded with this advertising and it is assumed to be cool to be drinking. Another issue which is not part of our recommendations but is one that I have been made aware of is the issue of vaping. I believe it will turn into a serious issue. There are people of 13 and 14 years of age now purchasing these vapes and they are going to be addicted to something that is as bad as cigarettes, yet it is not properly regulated. That is something to be examined.

I support the comments, particularly those of Senator Black, regarding the ban on alcohol advertising online. At a minimum, there should be a watershed of 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. for any advertisement on the main media channels or even on radio. However, I strongly believe we must fill the positions that were committed to, and put further investment into employing more lactation consultants and into an advertising campaign on the national and local media promoting breastfeeding.