Sinn Féin spokesperson on Addiction, Recovery and Wellbeing Thomas Gould TD has today called on the Minister for Health to fully implement all measures of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act.

Teachta Gould said:

“Despite passing over 3 years ago, there are still five sections of the Public Health (Alcohol Act) to be commenced.

“Some of these are extremely important including Sections 12, 13 and 18 on advertisements. This is a vital measure to protect young and vulnerable people from alcohol harm.

“It is extremely disappointing that the Minister still cannot provide a timeline for the implementation of all sections of the Act. Using the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse is wearing thin for most people.

“The Minister needs to give us a timeframe for full implementation. For many groups, who worked tirelessly in campaigning for this legislation, the sense of frustration is building.

“It would appear, according to the Minister’s latest response, that work has not resumed with the office of the Attorney General in drafting regulations to govern advertising of alcohol products. This was suspended due to Covid-19 but should have resumed at this stage.

“If this government are serious about addressing alcohol related harm, full implementation, and a timeline for this, must be the first step.”