Move against cheap drink sales ‘nanny state gone mad’, TD says

TDs with connections to the pub trade have expressed mixed views about the Government’s measures designed to reduce alcohol consumption.

Kerry South deputy Michael Healy-Rae said he had "grave concerns" about the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015, announced by Minister for Health Leo Varadkar.

“I don’t want to see a situation where this is just used by the Government to increase the price of alcohol. I’ve a great fear that this is the nanny state gone mad,” the Independent TD said.

“Putting up the price of cigarettes doesn’t stop people smoking. Putting up the price of drink doesn’t stop people drinking. This idea that if anything is perceived as bad for people it should just be made more expensive is rubbish.”

The Kerry deputy said he could look at the situation from both sides because he had a shop with a wine licence while his brother Danny, a councillor, runs his late father Jackie’s pub in Co Kerry.

“Of course I would have concern that our young people would be able to go out and buy 24 cans for €24. But you could have a hard-working family and maybe at the weekend the housewife or husband might want to have a bottle of wine with dinner,” Mr Healy-Rae said.

“Why should such people have to pay an exorbitant sum of money for no good reason? I would have grave concerns because what we need to have is a balance.”

Meanwhile, Fine Gael TD for Kerry South, Brendan Griffin, who ran a pub in Castlemaine for three years, described the restriction on the sale of cheap drink as "a step in the right direction".

Mr Griffin said pubs should be supported because of the social and economic benefits they brought to local areas.

“We should try to support pubs which support the wider economy and keep people in work, as well as being part of our overall tourism product,” he said.

“I know it’s politically correct to be critical of alcohol but pubs are still a huge part of our culture. Often in rural areas it’s one of the only social outlets.

“When I hear people dissing the pub trade and saying it’s anti-health, I think people are forgetting the benefits.”

“My own view is that whatever about the health issues involved, alcohol in a regulated environment should be promoted. This is a step in the right direction,” he said.

Independent TD Tom Fleming, who also represents Kerry South, said he welcomed additional regulation and debate.

“But the first approach should be education and increasing awareness regarding the unsupervised drinking of spirits,” he said.

Mr Fleming expressed concern about young people drinking spirits “without measures” prior to a night out. “It’s lethal in the long term,” he said.