An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-26
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Aubrey McCarthy (IND), University of Dublin

I want to bring the attention of the House to a report published by Alcohol Action Ireland. It is findings are very disappointing. During recent high-profile rugby matches in Ireland and abroad, alcohol branding appeared at a rate of one reference every eight seconds. Imagine that every eight seconds young people watching their team play something we promote as healthy, positive and community driven are exposed to alcohol marketing. As chair of the south-west regional drugs and alcohol task force and Tiglin, I have seen the damage that alcohol can do in communities. Imagine these heavily alcohol-branded events are being broadcast during watershed hours and are getting around the rules. When young people are watching it is concerning because they cannot distinguish between zero alcohol products and full alcohol products. They see them all as alcohol and research has shown this. In effect, we are allowing backdoor advertising directly into the minds of our children.
Research has shown that youth drinking in Ireland has increased by 12% over the past decade, with 78% of 15- to 24-year-olds consuming alcohol on a regular basis. As somebody who experienced alcoholism in my family, and from working with Tiglin and seeing addiction, I have real lived experience. This is this beginning of a journey that too often ends in crisis for families with the lives of young children going off track. I know we have the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 but it is not being fully implemented and there are gaps for zero alcohol products. This is a key issue. Long-standing recommendations dating back to 2012 call for a ban on alcohol sponsorship. We need to stop waiting and implement it. If we are serious about prevention, we need a joined-up Government response and thinking to put young people first. This is something we cannot ignore. Will the Leader bring the Minister for Health before the House to outline what immediate steps will be taken to close these gaps and protect our young people?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:42+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-26