Bill to curb alcohol adverts shelved

THE Government has shelved a bill that would protect children and adolescents from over-exposure to alcohol advertising following discussions with the drinks industry.

In doing so, it has ignored the advice of its Strategic Task Force on Alcohol, which in its second report last September warned the Alcohol Products Bill should be "enacted without delay".

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Dáil last week that "voluntary agreements" have instead been reached with the alcohol and advertising industries, meaning they will effectively self-regulate.

The Department of Health "wishes to postpone the introduction of the legislation pending the outcome of these voluntary arrangements", Mr Ahern said.

The bill has disappeared from a list of legislation the Government intends on implementing.

The Green Party accused the Government of "selling out" to the drinks industry.

"The Taoiseach's excuse that a voluntary code had been agreed with the alcohol industry rings very hollow," said the Greens' health spokesperson John Gormley.

"It's clear that powerful vested interests have managed to 'persuade' the Government to abandon this important bill that would have curtailed alcohol advertising."

He claimed the parking of the bill represented "a dereliction of duty" on the part of Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney.

In a statement, the department said the "detailed voluntary code of practice" would, "if successful meet many of the objectives of the bill".

An independent monitoring body would be established to oversee the implementation of the agreement.

"The department will consider activating the next stages of the bill pending the outcome of the code," the statement added.

The bill was first promised more than two years ago. A broad outline was subsequently prepared, and this April, chief whip Tom Kitt announced in the Government's summer legislative programme that he expected the bill to be published by "late 2005".

However, there is no mention of the bill in the Government's autumn legislative programme, which was published last week.

In a statement, the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) said it had "not held any meetings with [the] Government in relation to any proposed legislation."

However, it conceded that DIGI member companies "are engaged in ongoing dialogue with the Government on a range of issues".