Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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246. To ask the Minister for Health to outline the progress of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill in view of the concern from small business regarding alcohol curtains and enforcement of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11121/17]

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The enactment of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill is included in the Programme for a Partnership Government and is a priority for Government. The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill contains a suite of meaningful measures to reduce the level of harmful consumption of alcohol in Ireland. The aim of the legislation is to reduce alcohol consumption and the harms caused by alcohol.

The Bill provides for restrictions on the display, advertisement and visibility of alcohol products in mixed trade retail outlets. These provisions address concerns that alcohol is not an ordinary consumer product but a psychoactive drug that requires a licence for sale. The separation and reduced visibility of alcohol products in the manner prescribed will achieve the following objectives:

- access to alcohol products will be controlled in premises to which it applies;

- alcohol products cannot be on open display near grocery products, thereby discouraging impulse purchases and the purchase of alcohol products as part of everyday household grocery shopping;

- separate display of alcohol products or closed display in storage units will make alcohol products less visible to children and protect them from in-store marketing techniques.

The options provided for in the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill addresses the reasonable need for flexible implementation of the requirement to separate and reduce visibility of alcohol products in mixed trade retail outlets.

The Bill commenced Committee Stage in the Seanad on the 26 October 2016. The Bill is scheduled to return to Committee Stage in the Seanad during this session of the Oireachtas. In the interim, consideration is being given as to how best this important public health measure can be brought forward.