A controversial alcohol bill has stalled yet again after a number of legal issues were uncovered.

A coalition of campaigners has accused the drinks industry of a campaign of "ferocious lobbying" in an effort to water down measures in the Public Health Alcohol Bill.

Plans for a minimum alcohol price have suffered a setback after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled similar plans in Scotland would breach EU law if less restrictive tax measures could be introduced.

Publicans have urged Health Minister Leo Varadkar to “plough on” with plans to introduce minimum pricing on alcohol following a European Court of Justice ruling appeared to make the regulations harder to implement.

The Irish Government's plan to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol suffered a setback today after a new legal ruling from the European Court of Justice.

A report due from the Oireachtas Health Committee will urge the Government to set the minimum price for a unit of alcohol.

Diageo-funded campaign should be wound up and legislators need, for once, to put health of citizens ahead of interests of drinks industry, says James Doorley.

I note that the ‘creeping prohibition’ of alcohol is to begin, much as it did with tobacco 10 years ago. Prices will rise, availability will be curtailed and advertising will be restricted. Doubtless that is only the beginning.

I admire Health Minister Leo Vardkar’s proposed new drinks bill to set a minimum price for alcohol to decrease drinking and improve our health.

IT’S a cartoon, drawn by artist William Hogarth in 1751. Entitled Gin Lane, it shows a crowded, chaotic, 18th century street scene, every detail of which tells the story of what one alcoholic drink — gin — was doing to the city life of the poor. 

The publication of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 is to be welcomed. 

LET’S raise a glass to the new Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 which is essentially designed to protect us from ourselves when it comes to our love affair with booze, writes Alison O’Connor.

The Coalition’s proposed measures to tackle alcohol misuse do not go far enough and are unlikely to be delivered before the general election, former junior health minister Róisín Shortall has said.

A minimum unit price of 60c for alcohol would have a 40 to 50 times greater effect on consumption and health harm than a ban on below-cost selling, according to influential research on drinking.

THE Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has described the range of measures he has introduced to reduce alcohol consumption as the most far reaching legislation yet to curb the misuse of alcohol in Ireland.