Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)
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I want to address the need for the Minister for Health and Children to contact her counterparts in the North and the Scottish Parliament to exchange ideas on how to curb the abuse of alcohol with its associated health and economic costs. I raise this specifically because the Scottish Parliament has highlighted the issue of alcohol abuse and misuse. That Parliament in recent times prioritised this as one of its key issues. It realised that Scottish alcohol consumption rates are very high as reflected in the significant economic costs from attendances at accident and emergency departments and in terms of the long-term illnesses associated with alcohol abuse. It has decided that enough is enough and something has to be done about it. I believe that Scotland is in eighth place in Europe in the alcohol consumption league. The Scots are talking about introducing minimum pricing and many types of initiatives.

I consume alcohol and I therefore declare an interest. Perhaps I do not always fulfil the criteria attached to sensible drinking at times, but the problem is that Ireland is ranked first or second with Sweden in the one league we should not be proud of, namely, high consumption of alcohol. The debate about people going to the North to buy cheap alcohol is being monitored by the Minister for Finance. A bottle of whiskey, for example, is said to be about £14 cheaper in the North than it is here and that trend is having a downward spiral on our economy because people who go there to buy alcohol tend to purchase other commodities too, which they bring back.

I am sure the vintners might argue that we should be reducing the price of alcohol to compete with the North. I suggest something completely different, however. I believe we should ask the North and Westminster, because it sets the VAT rates for the UK, to co-operate with Ireland in having the same VAT rate for alcohol — indeed, I would include cigarettes — if that is appropriate as both of those commodities price-driven in terms of where they are bought.

I was on a national radio programme not long ago on which Mr. Jeffrey Donaldson, MLA, was invited to oppose me, but instead he started to agree with me because everybody knows that availability and accessibility are key driving forces in alcohol abuse. Mr. Donaldson and all the other parliamentarians, whether they are based in Westminster, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast or Dublin, realise that our consumption rates are nothing to be proud of. On the economics of people buying alcohol in the North, they tend to purchase far more than they can consume because of the "good deal" factor. However, the expiry dates on such products can be relatively short and therefore considerable amounts may be drunk if the alcohol is to be consumed within specified deadlines.

I am not against alcohol, although I believe we have a major problem in our culture in that regard. The league tables prove we are very successful in the wrong way, in terms of our consumption. If Scotland, which is in eighth place in the league, is very worried about the health consequences for its citizens, social disorder and the cost of policing in this regard, given that Ireland is in second place, surely we should be talking to the Scots about the initiatives they intend to introduce. We should talk to the North about the introduction of such initiatives on an all-island basis and we should consider the option of a single VAT rate for both Ireland and the UK to deal with a very significant health issue.

Perhaps there will be an opportunity at North-South Ministerial Council level to look at mutual dealing in regard to what is a very significant and costly social and justice problem in this country.

Mary Wallace (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Cecelia Keaveney for her great interest in this important issue. She said that we have a problem with the culture and I will begin by discussing the damage caused by alcohol, which is visible throughout Ireland. It is visible on the streets and in courts, hospitals, workplaces, schools and homes. Despite the tendency to blame under-age drinkers, the majority of alcohol harm occurs among the adult population. It manifests itself in street violence, accidents, hospital admissions, drunk driving, alcohol poisoning, suicides, alcohol dependency, cancers and cirrhosis. Some of these problems, especially the acute problems, arise where the light or the moderate drinker drinks to excess on a single drinking occasion, while others result from regular heavy drinking over a long time.

There is a considerable body of evidence which shows not only that policies and interventions targeted at vulnerable populations can prevent alcohol-related harm but that policies targeted at the population at large can have a protective effect. This is the approach taken in the strategic task force on alcohol report of 2004 and it is consistent with the approach recommended by the World Health Organisation, WHO.

Scientific knowledge is developing as regards the strategies that work to reduce alcohol-related harm. The WHO has stated that a combination of strategies should be used to include regulating and restricting the availability of alcohol, regulating the marketing of alcoholic beverages, enactment of appropriate drink-driving policies and implementing screening programmes and brief interventions against hazardous and harmful use of alcohol, for example, in primary care and accident and emergency departments.

The introduction of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008 which was conceived and passed within six months has demonstrated the Government's commitment to dealing with alcohol misuse, in particular from the public order perspective. The Act contains provisions in regard to new hours for off-sales of alcohol, tougher public order provisions allowing the gardaí to seize alcohol from minors, a court procedure to secure a new wine-only off-licence and new grounds for objection to the granting of an off-licence and new conditions attaching to the granting of a special exemption.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is also working on a new code of practice on the sale and display of alcohol with all the main supermarkets and convenience stores. New strengthened codes on alcohol advertising and sponsorship have been in place since last July which control the placement and volume of advertising in all media.

The Senator made an interesting suggestion in regard to common UK and Irish VAT and excise rates. We should look at these issues. North-South co-operation in the health sector has existed for many years and while collaboration between both jurisdictions has been ongoing, it has accelerated in recent years, in particular since the Good Friday Agreement. That Agreement provided for the establishment of a North-South Ministerial Council to bring together those with executive responsibilities in Northern Ireland and in the Government. Health Ministers formally engage on cross-Border issues under the auspices of the North-South Ministerial Council. Its purpose is to develop consultation, co-operation and action within the island of Ireland, including implementation on a North-South and cross-Border basis, on matters of mutual interest and within the competence of each Administration.

Both Health Ministers have agreed to undertake a comprehensive study to examine the potential for future co-operation between Northern Ireland and Ireland in the delivery and development of health and social care. The study will provide a strategic framework for the development and implementation of future collaborative work in health and social care services. The study recognises that both jurisdictions face problems associated with the misuse of alcohol and will include recommendations on future collaboration on substance abuse and alcohol related initiatives.

As the Senator outlined, the Scottish Government is advancing proposals to tackle alcohol misuse in Scotland. There has been contact at official level between the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Scottish officials in regard to the legislation and policy measures proposed. Such contacts serve to inform and build up expertise which can be mutually beneficial. As a result of the Senator raising the matter, I will make contact with my ministerial counterpart in the Scottish Government with a view to progressing this issue.

The problems associated with alcohol misuse and proposals and initiatives to tackle such problems have been, and will continue to be, a basis for contact and co-operation at the highest levels between Ireland and our counterparts in Northern Ireland and Scotland. I thank the Senator for her interest in this important issue.

Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)
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I am delighted with the response and the fact that there will be more co-operation. I forgot to commend all those involved in the decision to bring alcohol under the substance misuse strategy, which will replace the national drugs strategy. It will play a part in dealing with the people and the families who suffer the consequences of alcohol abuse. It will have major implications in our community.

I would like more information on the labelling of alcohol products. We were moving towards drink labelling in the same way as we have food labelling. As someone who is permanently on a diet, I can choose to have a high calorie sandwich or meal because it is written on the product, but I cannot choose to have a high calorie or low calorie alcoholic drink. I am aware of one brand, which I will not advertise, which calls itself "Light". It is not light in alcohol content but in calorie content. How far advanced is the issue of alcohol labelling? Will the Minister of State promote the concept of making people aware of healthier options, even when consuming alcohol? If she does not have that information to hand, I will be happy to get it at a later date.

Mary Wallace (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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The Senator raised that issue before and we fed it through the channels. There are ongoing discussions in the EU on this important issue but I will raise it again. As the Senator rightly pointed out, it impacts on the alcohol side of the health promotion unit as well as the obesity one. A task force is to report at Easter and every element is being addressed. We will look again at this to see what more can be done.