asked the Minister for Health if it is a fact that according to reports Irish people spend more on alcohol than any other country in the EEC, if he will state in respect of 1975, 1976, 1977 and to the latest date the amount spent on alcohol; and the percentage of the total population registered as alcoholics.
Written Answers . - Alcohol Expenditure .
143.
: The amount spent on alcoholic drink in this country was £304.5 million in 1975 and £370 million in 1976. Figures are not yet available for 1977. It has not been possible to obtain comparable figures of spending for other EEC countries but statistics for the amount of alcohol consumed in these countries show that Ireland had the second lowest per capita consumption for 1976.
There is no arrangement for the registration of alcoholics in this country.