Fine Gael demands ban on drinks advertising

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has called on the Taoiseach to show some leadership and take personal responsibility for a coherent strategy to tackle Ireland's alcohol problem.

The Leader of the Opposition recommended a Cabinet Committee be set up to face-off against the growing problem Ireland has with alcoholism and alcohol-related incidents.

He recommended a return to pre-2000 opening hours, to ban all alcohol advertising and increase penalties for retailers that sell alcohol to underage drinkers.

Speaking in Wexford today, Deputy Kenny said: "Today's report by the National Crime Council has again demonstrated the damage which excessive drinking is causing and highlights the need to consider radical solutions to a problem that is showing no sign of improvement under the current Government.

"Mixed messages from different Government Departments are only serving to confuse the debate and blur any response, hence the need for direct co-ordination from the Taoiseach.

"A Cabinet Committee containing the Departments of the Taoiseach, Justice, Environment, Health and Education should now be set up to focus efforts on delivering a coherent response from Government."

Commenting on the urgency of the issue, Kenny said: "This is too serious an issue, too pervasive a problem for the Government to allow their normal response of announcement, spin and inaction to prevail.

"We should be prepared to examine introducing genuinely prohibitive tax increases on certain alcoholic drinks and reducing the blood/alcohol levels for provisional drivers to zero.

"There is also much more that can be done through education and awareness programmes, both with children and parents.

What we cannot do is sit idly by and wait for individual Government Ministers get their act together.

"I am now calling on the Taoiseach to take personal responsibility for this issue and to get tough effective measures in place urgently.

Fine Gael's ten-point plan is ready and waiting. It is time to call time on Government inaction."