Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 142: To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the proposed research to measure young persons' exposure to, and awareness of, alcohol marketing here, currently for tender by Alcohol Action Ireland; if he, the Health Service Executive or another State agency under his remit is the source of funding for this research; the cost to the taxpayer of this work, if any; if the Alcohol Marketing Communications Monitoring Body, under whose remit such research would fall, was considered to undertake this project; if not, the reasons for that decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26482/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Health Service Executive provided €192,000 this year to Alcohol Action Ireland for the purposes of - among other things - to carry out research to measure young people's exposure to and awareness of alcohol marketing in Ireland. This research will - among other objectives - establish a population baseline measure of young people's exposure to and awareness of alcohol marketing; examine how alcohol is marketed in Ireland; and produce research capable of being repeated in order to gauge change. In effect, this is a field study of significant scope and amplitude. The total budget available for the project including VAT is €100,000 with the HSE funding 50% of the cost.

The proposal from the Alcohol Marketing Communications Monitoring Body encompasses commissioning a report - facilitated by the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland - from a media company that would be based on detailing by volume and by media, both all advertising and all alcohol advertising. The media to be covered are television, radio, cinema, print and outdoor; but in effect, it is research that is quantitative by nature.

The Alcohol Action Ireland study and any report proposed for commissioning by the Alcohol Marketing Communications Monitoring Body would not be mutually exclusive alternatives; but as the National Substance Misuse Strategy Steering Group is almost at the end of its deliberations and preparing its final report, the occasion for considering any such quantitative research by the Alcohol Marketing Communication Monitoring Body is best postponed until the future direction on alcohol policy is determined - which shall arise in the context of the Steering Group's recommendations and any related Government decision.