Minimum-pricing for alcohol: Heads of bill on way

The Minister for Health has said his department is working on a framework to tackle minimum pricing for alcohol.

Heads of the bill should be published next month.

In the Dáil last night, Minister Leo Varadkar said tackling minimum pricing would have the biggest and quickest impact on alcohol misuse.

He was responding to a motion by Fine Gael Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor.

She said: "There are 2.48 million people in Ireland who drink alcohol and 54% of those drink harmfully and excessively - that's 1.24 million people."