Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 268: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she intends to change the law to require that labels be placed on alcoholic beverages warning of the risks of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders; the steps she is taking to prevent FASD; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2846/06]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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This Department has funded a research project which involves a review of maternal records held by the Coombe Women's Hospital for the period 1996-2004. The aims of the project are to describe the prevalence and patterns of alcohol and nicotine use in a sample of pregnant women in Ireland between 1986 and 2004; to examine the association between a set of pregnancy outcome indicators — birth weight, Apgar score — and the consumption patterns; and to examine how alcohol consumption in Ireland, in a sample of pregnant women, relates to use in a similar population in other countries. The results are expected to be available later this year and will inform any future action required.

The issue of the information contained on labels on alcoholic beverages was considered by the working group on alcohol which was recently established to help mobilise the stakeholders through social partnership to achieve a targeted and measurable reduction in alcohol misuse. The report recommended that a group, representative of all relevant stakeholders, would be established to consider what useful information could be included on non-draft alcohol products, taking account of international evidence. Any future action on the recommendations contained in that report, including the issue of the information on labels, will involve consultation with all of the appropriate stakeholders.