Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 72: To ask the Minister for Health the plans he has to tackle the distress that alcohol fuelled consultation causes to staff and other patients in hospital accident and emergency departments; and will moneys raised by a fat tax or sugar tax be used to deal with this crisis in our accident and emergency departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8499/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Measures aimed at reducing the overall consumption of alcohol in Irish society is the primary means to deal with the issue raised by the Deputy. The report of the National Substance Misuse Strategy Steering Group was launched this week; and it reported that in 2010 the per capita consumption of alcohol in Ireland equated to 11.9 litres of pure alcohol per adult, corresponding to 482 pints of lager, 125 bottles of wine or 45 bottles of vodka - in effect, a bottle of vodka per week. (Given that 19 per cent of the adult population are abstainers, the actual amount of alcohol consumed per drinker is considerably more.)

The report contains a range of recommendations to, among other things, reduce the consumption of alcohol in general. These recommendations are grouped under five pillars of Supply Reduction (availability), Prevention, Treatment, Rehabilitation and Research and the main recommendations include:

Increase the price of alcohol so that it becomes less affordable;

introduce a legislative basis for minimum pricing, along with a 'social responsibility' levy on the drinks industry;

commence Section 9 (structural separation of alcohol from other products in supermarkets, etc) of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008;

introduce legislation and statutory codes to provide for a 9.00 p.m. watershed for alcohol advertising on television and radio; alcohol advertising in cinemas to only be associated with films classified as being suitable for over-18s; prohibition of all outdoor advertising of alcohol; and all alcohol advertising in the print media to be subject to stringent codes, enshrined in legislation and independently monitored;

phase out drinks industry sponsorship of sport and other large public events by 2016;

develop a system to monitor the enforcement of the provisions of the intoxicating liquor legislation;

establish a Clinical Directorate to develop the clinical and organisational governance framework to underpin treatment and rehabilitation services; develop early intervention guidelines for alcohol and substance use across all relevant sectors of the health and social care system. This will include a national screening and brief intervention protocol for early identification of problem alcohol use.

The recommendation to introduce a social responsibility levy on the drinks industry is associated with the theme of the Deputy's question; as in recommending this levy, the Steering Group adverted to using such funds raised to contribute to both the cost of social marketing and awareness campaigns on the social and health harms caused by alcohol and to fund sporting and other large public events that help provide alternative to a drinking culture for young people.

Finally, the recommendations of the Steering Group on alcohol will encourage public debate and the Minister envisages an Action Plan being developed in advance of proposals being drafted for Government.