Letters to the Editor: Alcohol is not a ‘cultural offering’ minister

'This country and its people are pathologically obsessed with alcohol, and the minister’s definition of it confirms this belief'

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee defined alcohol as a ‘cultural offering’. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

I was absolutely gobsmacked and totally horrified on Monday morning last, (February 22), when, in the course of an interview with Gavin Jennings (RTÉ, Morning Ireland), Justice Minister Helen McEntee defined alcohol as a “cultural offering” in itself. Ms McEntee repeated this assertion at least three times in the course of this interview, which was mainly devoted to the proposed extension of pub opening hours.

Personally, I have long suspected that this country and its people are pathologically obsessed with alcohol, and the minister’s definition of it as a distinct “cultural offering” in itself, finally confirms this belief. Defining alcohol in this way puts it on a par with, for example, Bloom’s Day, the Cork Film Festival, the Dublin Theatre Festival, literature festivals, and all the other marvellous cultural events that normally go on year-round in our country. This is woefully inappropriate.