Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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278. To ask the Minister for Health the timescale being worked to in relation to the publication and implementation of the Public Health Alcohol Bill; and if he will confirm that the prevention of sponsorship of sporting events by the alcohol industry will not be dealt with in this legislation. [12722/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Government has approved an extensive package of measures to deal with alcohol misuse to be incorporated in a Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. These measures are based on the recommendations contained in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, 2012. The package of measures to be implemented will include provision for minimum unit pricing, regulation of the marketing and advertising of alcohol, regulation of sports sponsorship, structural separation of alcohol from other products in mixed trading outlets and labelling of alcohol products. Work on developing a framework for the necessary Department of Health legislation is continuing. It is hoped to publish a General Scheme of a Bill in the coming months.

The existing voluntary code that governs sports sponsorship will be placed on a statutory footing. A working group to examine the regulation of sports sponsorship has been established. The working group is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach. The group has met twice to date and will report back by the end of 2014 on:

i) The value, evidence, feasibility and implications (including the public health consequences for children and young people) of regulating sponsorship by alcohol companies of major sporting events,

ii) Its consideration of financial implications and alternative sources of funding for sporting organisations to replace potential lost revenue arising from any such regulation.