Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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202. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35105/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, 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 in the Steering Group Report on a Substance Misuse Strategy, 2012 and include provisions for the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol products. Work on developing a framework for the necessary Department of Health legislation is continuing and it is hoped to publish a General Scheme of a Bill in the Autumn.

A health impact assessment, in conjunction with Northern Ireland, has been commissioned as part of the process of developing a legislative basis for minimum unit pricing. The assessment will study the impact of different minimum prices on a range of areas such as health, crime and likely economic impact and should be finalised in the coming weeks.