Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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490. To ask the Minister for Health if progress has been made with the proposal to introduce a minimum unit pricing policy for alcohol, which has been recommended for a considerable period, as an important policy instrument in fighting alcohol harm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48196/14]

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 contained in the Steering Group Report on a National 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 intended to publish a General Scheme of a Bill in January.