Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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1995. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the review of the impacts of the minimum unit pricing policy as outlined in the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018; if her Department will be producing a report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18607/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Minimum unit pricing (MUP) came into operation in January 2022. The Public Health (Alcohol) Act provides that the Minister may, by order, increase the minimum price per gram of alcohol no earlier than 3 years after commencement. The Act specifies that the Minister must take into account any expert research available on the effectiveness of the measure as well as have regard to criteria set out at section 11(5) of the Act.

In November 2024, the Alcohol Act Technical Evaluation Group (AATEG) was established to evaluate the provisions of the Public Heath (Alcohol) Act 2018, including MUP, and is required to submit an interim report on its progress to my Department by the end of the year.