Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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393. To ask the Minister for Health the steps, if any, he proposes to take to influence a reduction in the price of non-alcoholic beer on sale in the on and off-trade in view of the relatively high price of such products here and the positive contribution lower prices would have on the demand for alcohol and hence on the very significant costs associated with alcohol-related harm here. [21343/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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My Department has no direct powers to reduce the price of non-alcoholic beer; its price is largely a function of private market forces. The National Substance Misuse Strategy envisaged a minimum unit price for alcohol products only - complemented by a range of other measures in the supply and prevention areas - in order to deal with the misuse of alcohol. It is likely therefore, that these would have a positive influence on the demand for non-alcohol products relative to alcohol products.