Madam, - At a time when we are all particularly aware of the destruction caused in our society by alcohol abuse, it is a real concern that children are being exposed unnecessarily to alcohol advertising - in the most unlikely ways.
One notable example is the widespread sale of replica children's jerseys for Premiership football clubs carrying the names of alcohol companies.
Last week in the Seanad I held up a Liverpool FC replica jersey for a nine-year-old child, which I had bought in a Dublin city centre sports shop that morning, with the logo of a well-known beer prominently displayed on it.
I called on the Minister for Health and Children to stop these
jerseys being sold. But she had already said that she could not
prohibit the sale here of children's kits produced in the UK -
which is ironic, because in Britain, since January 1st, football
shirts in children's sizes are no longer permitted to display the
logos of alcohol companies. It is time for the Minister to take
similar action here. - Yours, etc,
IVANA BACIK,
Seanad Éireann,
Dublin 2