Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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177. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for dealing with the problem of binge drinking. [34900/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has a significant alcohol problem which needs decisive and innovative action to address it. Last October, the Government 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 on a National Substance Misuse Strategy.

The aim is to reduce alcohol consumption to the OECD average by 2020 (i.e. 9.1 litres of pure alcohol per capita per annum) and to reduce the harms associated with the misuse of alcohol. A broad range of complementary measures is required to achieve this goal. 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 and is hoped to publish a General Scheme of a Bill in the Autumn.

Minimum unit pricing is a mechanism of imposing a statutory floor in price levels per gram of alcohol that must be legally observed by retailers in both the on and off trade sector. This is a targeted measure, designed to prevent the sale of alcohol at very cheap prices. Its primary function is to discourage at risk levels of alcohol consumption and is targeted in particular at harmful and hazardous drinking. The Government has also introduced new low risk limits for alcohol consumption based on the Irish standard drink of 10 grams of alcohol i.e. 112 grams of pure alcohol per week for women (11 standard drinks) and 168 grams of pure alcohol per week for men (17 standard drinks).

The other measures set out in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, 2012, were endorsed by Government and are to be progressed by the relevant Departments and organisations.