Adjournment Debate

Special Educational Needs

Deputy Robert Troy

I raise this very important issue, which has come to my attention of late. I understand the Minister of State will take the matter on behalf of his colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

One of the best things the previous Government did was to introduce free preschool places for all children. The Government did some wrong things but this was one of its better judgments. At the time, it was indicated that children with special educational needs would have the opportunity to have two years of free preschool education. Prior to that, special needs assistants were assigned to most children with special needs in preschools. This was funded through the HSE budget for special supports for preschool children with disabilities.

When the ECCE scheme was introduced, the HSE early intervention teams were told children could apply for a second free preschool year. Exemptions were to be allowed where children had been assessed by the HSE or a treating consultant as having special needs that would delay their entry to school or if the enrolment policy of the local primary school was to accept children at an older age. Those were the circumstances in which a child could apply for a second year of preschool.

In the wider Mullingar district and 75% of County Westmeath, only 20 children are currently waiting for their second free preschool year. When funding was cut in last year's budget it was announced that there would be a saving of €500,000. Having listened to the figures quoted by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, a saving of €500,000 seems very small.

Parents of children with special needs are unable to keep their children at home and are sending them to primary school although the children are not intellectually ready for primary school. This is putting additional pressure on primary schools, and on the special needs services and general resources for primary schools. We need to revisit this because when funding was provided by the HSE in Mullingar, it was specified that it would be used for one hour of one-to-one tuition every day the child was in preschool. That hour was spent on the goals and therapies outlined by the early intervention team. The Minister of State will be aware that the early stage of childhood development is critically important to children's long-term development. This is even more so the case for special needs children. I have spoken to parents of special needs children and they have related their great joy and expectations when they see their children entering preschool. They see the work done as they progress but this is being cut back. These parents are physically and emotionally exhausted and they are unable to fight for themselves, which is why I am raising this issue.

They are falling between Departments. The HSE says preschool is not a health-related issue while the Department of Education and Skills says it has no legal obligation to children until they are aged six. In fairness to the new Government, it has created a new Department to deal with children's issues and it has a golden opportunity to put in place a comprehensive support system for children with special needs attending preschool. I would like the Minister of State to convey the message to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs that something needs to be done in this regard. I do not want him to reply that this is all about what happened in the past. The Government has choices. Only 30 minutes ago, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform claimed the first thing the Government did was implement changes to the EU-IMF deal. Through these changes, I would like the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to appoint additional SNAs and to provide a second free preschool place for children with special needs. They have nothing; it is as if they do not exist. The new Department has a golden opportunity to do this. I ask the Minister of State to relay this to the Minister and to reply with some good news.

Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy John Perry)

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has responsibility for implementing the free preschool year in the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme, which was introduced in January 2010. The programme provides for a free preschool year for all eligible children in the year prior to commencing primary school. Currently, 63,000 children are availing of the preschool year. This represents 94% of all children in the eligible cohort, which is a significant success for the programme at this early stage. It is a mainstream programme, provided by almost every preschool service in the State.

These services are required, under the Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2004, to make reasonable accommodation for children with special needs. While there is no additional provision under the ECCE programme for children with special needs, they can avail of it on a pro rata basis over two years. For example, a child may attend for two days per week during the first year and for three days per week in the second year. Experience to date demonstrates that many parents find this very helpful for a range of reasons. In many cases, specialist preschool services arrange for children attending their services to also attend a mainstream service for one, two or three days a week. In other cases, children have special health needs which mean that they are unable to attend on a five-day basis each week.

There is also the reality that children who need additional supports to attend a preschool service are more likely to receive six or nine hours per week rather than the 15 hours that would be necessary if the ECCE programme were taken over one year. In addition, an exception is allowed to the upper age limit for eligibility for the programme. The age range within which children qualify for the programme is, generally, between three years two months and four years and seven months in September of the relevant year. However, where a child has been assessed by the HSE or a treating consultant as having a special need which will delay his or her entry to primary school, the upper age limit is disregarded. Experience to date again demonstrates that this exception is beneficial to many children, for whom starting school closer to six years of age is more appropriate.

The ECCE programme has transformed the landscape for preschool service provision. This change must be responded to by the support services on the ground. Support services for preschool children are provided by the HSE. The office of disability and mental health in the Department of Health has overall responsibility for these services. In February 2010, the then Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, sponsibility for children and youth affairs raised this issue with the office of disability and mental health. A working group, led by the office of disability and mental health in collaboration with the HSE and the Office of the Minister for Children was set up to consider how the existing arrangements for support services for children with special needs might be revised to make better use of existing resources and achieve better outcomes. I understand that this group is expected to report shortly. The implementation of actions to improve the existing arrangements for service provision must be a key priority for the Department of Health as well as for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to ensure equal access for all children to preschool education.

There is no entitlement under the ECCE programme to a second preschool year. Following the introduction of the programme in January 2010, it was decided to provide a second period of preschool provision in a limited number of cases, on the basis that the first period of provision was a "short year". The second period of preschool provision year, which was allowed in September 2010, was confined to children with severe disabilities who would be expected to benefit significantly from a second period of preschool in a mainstream setting prior to going on to primary school.

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs believes that the programme is an important development in early education and that it is particularly welcome as a universal programme which means all children have equal access and begin school on an equal footing. She is committed to continuing the programme and to improving it over time as resources allow. She believes the pro rata option for children with special needs is a practical and helpful option for many parents and children, as is the option for delayed entry.

While the Minister will explore ways in which the ECCE and other programmes can be improved and made more accessible for children with special needs, she believes that one of the most urgent actions that needs to be taken relates to making sure we achieve the best outcomes from existing resources to provide better supports within preschool services for children with special needs. As she indicated to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health, Children and Youth Affairs last week, she has asked the Department to examine options, including the extension of a second free preschool year to children with special needs and, eventually, to all children. However, in recognition of the current fiscal constraints within which the Government must operate, any such proposals will have to be rigorously assessed in the context of the multi-year comprehensive expenditure review and future Estimates processes, which is very much part of an ongoing debate.

The Minister is committed to working closely with other Departments, agencies and organisations to achieve improvements in the lives and the opportunities of all of our children and young people, including children and young people with special needs. I thank Deputy Troy for raising this important matter and I hope this reply addresses some of his concerns.

National Carers Strategy

Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy

Caring is a special role that many of our citizens find themselves in suddenly without prior training, education or other supports available to them. They are a hidden workforce, saving the Exchequer significant funds by their dedicated work for the elderly, terminally ill or disabled men and women of all ages. It is estimated their work saves the State more than €2 billion annually. They are driven by a desire to ensure their loved ones remain in the comfort of their own home with their families for as long as possible. We are only in the past decade getting a picture of how many people care for family members. The 2002 census revealed a total of 148,754 carers, with 40,526 working full time and 108,228 part time. Collectively, they carry out an estimated 3 million hours of work every week. This is a staggering figure but it is an accurate indication when the 24-hour care provided replacing the care which would be provided by a hospital or other care facility is taken into account. As someone who shared the care with my siblings of our terminally ill mother for five months, I am fully aware of the fears in the early days of caring, the fatigue associated with sleepless nights and the worry that there might be some medical emergency with which one cannot deal, but it is all worthwhile to ensure that a loved one gets the type of care that comes from a family member. However, we must also recognise the impact of the stress of caring on the carer and the need for the carer to have some respite. It is vital for people to nurture themselves at such a time and it also makes them better carers.

I attended a meeting of carers in Tullamore recently. They impressed upon me the need for the publication of a national strategy for carers. The carers were aged from the mid-20s to 82 years of age. They were all in caring situations that were the same in some respects but different too. Some were caring for spouses or elderly parents with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, while others were caring for their own children with intellectual or physical disabilities. The challenging behaviour of some children is heartbreaking for the family. The 82 year old woman is caring for her 85 year old husband.

It is well documented that there are many young carers who are having their childhood stolen by assuming adult responsibilities for loved ones. It is imperative that the strategy for carers deals with all needs of adult and child carers. Financial assistance, respite and home help are all required. The solution must involve a cross-sectoral, multi-departmental and a multi-agency approach. A vital issue which must be addressed is that caring would be recognised as work. Currently, if a person gives up work to care for a loved one he or she does not receive recognition from the Department of Social Protection that the caring is in fact work. I was given an example of a gentleman who gave up work to care for his mother and did so for five years. After her inevitable death, he went to his social welfare office and was advised that his time out of the workplace as a carer was not recognised as work and would not count towards a pension in later life.

Next year, 2012, is the European year of active aging and solidarity of generations. It will focus on solidarity between generations. Caring is a clear example of such solidarity. It would be a wonderful achievement if we could have a national carers strategy in place by then.

Deputy John Perry

I thank Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy for raising this important issue. I am taking this Adjournment debate on behalf of the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton.

The programme for Government contains a commitment to "develop a national carers' strategy to support carers and address the issues of concern". It is important to clarify that there is not a completed draft carers strategy that is merely waiting for Government approval and ready for publication. The Government will consider how best to progress the development of the strategy, taking into account the prevailing economic realities and the work carried out previously.

As the Deputy will be aware, every Department is currently carrying out a comprehensive review of expenditure. That will help clarify the strategic priorities and the resources available within each Department. Following that, the Government will be in a position to best consider how to progress the development of the carers strategy.

A significant amount of work was done by the previous cross-departmental working group which was chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach. The Departments of Finance, Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Health and Children and Social and Family Affairs as well as the Health Service Executive, HSE, and FÁS were represented on the group. The group met on six occasions during 2008 and the expertise of other Departments and agencies was drawn on as particular issues were being considered. Discussions were also held with colleagues in Northern Ireland. A wide-ranging consultation process was also undertaken which included a meeting with the social partners, two meetings with carer representative groups and a public consultation process.

While each of the themes set out in the terms of reference was examined in terms of the current position, because of the prevailing economic situation, it was not possible to agree future targets or time limits which could be achieved. The economic difficulties have intensified and mean that while the Government is committed to developing a strategy, it will not be easy. The strategy will have to be developed and implemented within the resources available, taking into account our IMF and EU commitments, as well as the outcomes of the comprehensive review of expenditure.

I acknowledge the significant role played by carers in society and reiterate the commitment the Government has to providing appropriate support to both carers and those who are being looked after. The area of caring is a complex field involving a number of Departments. Becoming a carer can have implications for all aspects of a person's life from taxation to transport and from social welfare payments to accessing health services. Reflecting that, services and supports for carers are delivered by a variety of Departments and bodies. Many of the issues of most concern to carers are the responsibility of the Department of Health. The development of a strategy is important to carers but also other issues such as front line services and general supports for the disabled.

Carers play a significant and valuable role in the provision of care and support to older people and people with disabilities who may otherwise need care in a residential environment. It is our view that people should be encouraged and supported in their efforts to live healthy, fulfilling, independent lives in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. The model of care which favours facilitating people to reside in their own home and natural environment for as long as possible can only be achieved if the work of carers is valued and supported through health care supports and services made available at community level.

I reassure the Deputy that the Government is committed to continuing to provide a comprehensive range of services to support people in need of care. In particular, the Health Service Executive provides, for example, home care packages which can be delivered in partnership between the HSE and certain voluntary providers and can often include a respite element at local level. Other supports are provided through programmes such as meals-on-wheels, day care or home help. Every effort is made to make each service as flexible as possible to meet individual needs.

The aim of providing services is to meet people's needs through a variety of supports, which focus on a multidisciplinary approach to deliver services to people in their own homes as far as possible. While we are faced with a period of economic and fiscal challenges and we face a period of Exchequer consolidation and new social realities, I hope these supports will continue within the resources that are available at present. The Department of Health and the HSE are committed to continue providing the supports to allow people to remain in their homes as far as possible within the resources currently available.

The Department of Social Protection provides a number of income support payments on a weekly basis and will have a role in developing and implementing a strategy. Currently, more than 51,000 people get a carer's allowance payment from the Department. That includes more than 21,000 who receive a half-rate carer's allowance in addition to another payment. There are approximately 1,700 people in receipt of carer's benefit. In addition, more than 17,000 people who are not in receipt of a carer's allowance or benefit payment received the annual respite care grant of €1,700 this month.

The estimated expenditure for carers in 2011, including carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the respite care grant is approximately €658 million. That does not include the household benefits package or free travel which carers also receive. It is not possible at this time to outline the contents of the strategy as it has not been drafted, but the commitment to develop a strategy during the lifetime of the Government is an important one. It will prompt all Departments to address the issues of concern for carers, some of which I have just mentioned.

Once again, I take the opportunity to acknowledge the significant role played by carers in society and reiterate the commitment the Government has given to providing appropriate support to carers and those who are being looked after. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue.

Data Protection

Deputy Joe Costello

One of the indirect consequences of the recent scandalous events in the United Kingdom surrounding News Corporation, News International and the widespread mobile telephone hacking which brought Rupert Murdoch's mighty media empire to its knees, closed the News of the World and brought the entire fourth estate into disrepute was to open debate on the need for mobile telephone manufacturers and operators to protect the privacy of their customers. The act of newspaper editors and journalists paying individuals to hack into the phone messages of private citizens to glean personal and private information which was then printed as exclusive front-page news is truly reprehensible and repulsive. The hurt caused to private citizens who were coping at the time with tragic and distressing events in their lives is incalculable. They must now re-live these events and contend with the fact that their privacy and innermost thoughts were completely and comprehensively invaded. The newspapers initially targeted so-called celebrities, justifying their actions by claiming that these were public figures and, as such, fair game for the media. They quickly moved on to politicians and private citizens, with no regard for their basic human rights.

It transpires that much of the hacking that was carried out was easily done because of insufficient security on mobile phone messaging systems. The mobile phone operators have simply set up a basic default password of four zeros for all phones. To access a mobile phone's voicemail, any member of the public merely needs to place a five before the telephone number when dialling, press the hash key and then enter the four-digit password. In the early days of mobile phones this was the only way to access phone messages from abroad. Now that it is possible in many countries to dial the 171 direct voicemail number, most people are not even aware of the existence of a password for accessing their voicemail. It would be interesting to ascertain how many Members of the Oireachtas, despite the recent warnings, have not changed their voicemail passwords from the default four zeros. I would love to do a little survey and find out how many are still vulnerable to hacking.

There are other sophisticated mechanisms for accessing mobile phone data. Bluetooth technology, while providing major advantages, can also allow data on mobile phones to be viewed, downloaded and even corrupted without the phone owner realising that anything is happening. Earlier in the day I Googled the phrase "mobile phone hacking" and got almost 42 million results. Incredibly, millions of websites are offering free software to enable hacking of mobile phone data. That is out there on Google; Deputies can look it up any time. There are even tutorials provided on YouTube about how to hack into phones using Bluetooth.

In these days of mobile data, so much personal information is contained in people's mobile phones — address books, diaries, e-mails, text messages. The mobile phone is for many people an extension of themselves. Unfortunately, however, it offers the peeping Tom an insight into their most personal data.

What can be done about this? I believe mobile phone companies should have an obligation to protect their customers' rights. They should be obliged to ensure each account is secure and cannot be hacked into. There are a number of basic measures, which should be standardised across all mobile phone operators, that would protect consumers. Mobile phone operators at present have a default setting that allows unanswered calls to go straight to voicemail, as I mentioned earlier. There should be a requirement for the customer to set a new password before voicemail can be activated. This would immediately eliminate the four-zero hacking option. Moreover, on phones using Bluetooth technology, the default setting should require a user to grant permission for other Bluetooth devices to connect to his or her own device. How many Members of the Oireachtas who use Bluetooth to talk on the phone in their cars think to turn off Bluetooth when they get out of their cars? If they do not, they are rendering their phones' data accessible through Bluetooth. I would say this is the case for the majority of people. Again, this leaves them vulnerable to hacking.

Mobile phone operators and manufacturers have an obligation to ensure their customers' privacy and rights are fully protected. In the first instance I am asking the Minister to examine the possibility of legislation at national level. However, mobile phones enable global communication and, as such, know no boundaries. It is therefore important that action is taken at a global level. I have already requested that this issue be placed on the work programme of the Joint Committee on European Affairs and I will be seeking a European directive to compel mobile phone operators to protect their customers' privacy.

Deputy John Perry

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The protection of personal information is a matter for the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, which falls under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality. However, the point raised by the Deputy is one which is of concern across the Government, particularly following revelations in recent weeks about the unauthorised accessing of personal information via telecommunications equipment.

I assume the particular matter that is of concern to the Deputy is remote access to the voicemail service of mobile phone users by other persons and the apparent ease with which this can occur by the use of default access codes. It appears the main issue in this regard is the lack of information available to mobile phone users about such remote access and the need for users to ensure the default access code is changed to prevent unauthorised access to voice messages.

I understand the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner is having discussions with some of the mobile phone operators with a view to addressing the potential problems with the existing system. Mobile phone users also have the facility, which is easily available, of deleting messages in their voice mailboxes as a further security measure.

With the evolution of smartphones and their ever-increasing data capacities, there are also concerns about the potential for leaks of personal information from such devices. For example, some of the newer smartphones have data capacities of 2 GB or more, which in layman's terms means that they can easily store 2,000 emails and 3,000 medium-sized documents. Many of these devices have built-in privacy managers that allow the user to customise how the phone manages personal information. It is my understanding that such settings can be changed at any time and not just when an application is first installed. While the handsets provide for such privacy settings, it is ultimately a matter for the phone user to ensure they are properly activated, monitored and updated or amended as required.

More generally, mobile phone companies provide services that facilitate the storage and transmission of personal information in a number of ways. These include SMS, e-mail, social media such as Facebook and voicemail. There are a number of mechanisms in place to protect the personal information associated with these facilities. For example, the majority of handsets feature the use of PIN numbers to unlock the handset. This feature is put in place by equipment manufacturers so that access to the handset can be restricted to the user, thereby protecting the handset and preventing misuse. Encryption of messages is another security method that is frequently used, particularly for users of BlackBerry handsets. The combination of such facilities allows users to protect information stored on their phones, such as SMS messages and e-mails, as well as protecting personal information, such as voicemails, stored on the telecommunications network.

It should be noted that the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has recently introduced secondary legislation that obliges companies providing publicly available electronic communications networks or services to safeguard the security of their services. It is an offence for such companies not to comply with these requirements. Provisions with regard to data breaches have been also strengthened.

Many mobile phone users do not seem to realise the importance of using all the readily available security mechanisms that are provided by phone operators at present. I believe the recent incidents of phone hacking, which have been widely reported in the media, will serve as a reminder to phone users that they should ensure the handsets they use and the data stored on those handsets are secure. User information and awareness is key to this issue and I look forward to the outcome of discussions between the mobile phone operators and the Data Protection Commissioner in this regard

Deputy Joe Costello

I am afraid the reply has missed the point. The onus should be on the manufacturer, not on the user, to provide security.

Deputy John Perry

It should be, absolutely.

Deputy Joe Costello

The entire response given by the Minister of State was parallel to the real issue.

Deputy John Perry

I will raise the Deputy's concerns with the Minister and safeguards should be provided by the mobile telephone companies.

Alcohol Abuse

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

The worrying extent of the impact of alcohol has been revealed by the first national report on trends in alcohol-related death. The report of the Health Research Board shows such deaths occur in all age groups, from teenagers to the elderly. The report examines alcohol-related deaths, looking at those caused by poisoning and non-poisoning deaths arising from medical and traumatic causes. It also examines causes of deaths for people who are alcohol dependent.

Almost half of the alcohol-only poisoning deaths recorded in the report occurred in the 40 to 54 age group. Two thirds of the cases were male. While alcohol is a factor in deaths in all age groups, its fatal effects are most evident in middle-aged men. Poisoning deaths caused by alcohol and other substances peaked in the 30 to 34 age group while the median age is 48. Again, two thirds of the cases were male.

Of the recorded non-poisoning deaths of people who were alcohol dependent, three quarters were male. Approximately nine out of ten cases were due to medical causes. The most common medical cause was alcoholic liver disease. One startling point is that this disease accounted for one third of deaths due to medical causes of alcohol dependent people in the 25 to 34 age group. The report also details deaths that involved alcohol among people who were not alcohol dependent. Two thirds of these deaths were due to traumatic causes which included drowning, choking and falling.

In 2009 the average adult in Ireland drank 11.9 litres of pure alcohol, double what was consumed in 1960. Clearly, with such an increase in alcohol consumption, there has been a change in our social habits. The stark reality of this change is brought into focus by this report. It shows that as a society we need to look at our lifestyle habits. The Health Research Board has shown that alcohol is having a fatal impact of the lives of many people.

In moderation alcohol is enjoyed by many people without the impact of its potential harmful consequences. For some it is a social lubricant; for others it provides a temporary escape. Unfortunately, there are those for whom alcohol becomes a crutch, upon which they become dependent. We must ensure those who suffer from the side effects of excessive alcohol consumption are provided with the appropriate health care.

Lifestyle choices do not only result in alcohol-related deaths. They can also be causes of obesity and type-2 diabetes. The stakeholders led by the Department of Health, Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Health Service Executive, along with the drinks industry, must examine steps to reduce the impact on health of lifestyle choices.

We must also develop lifestyle awareness initiatives to show the effects of excessive alcohol consumption and to encourage social choices which are not alcohol dependent. Through education and awareness, we can reduce the consumption of alcohol which in turn will reduce the number of alcohol-related deaths. It is important we have a debate on how we consume and use alcohol. The report of the Health Research Board should be a wake-up call for all of us. This report should not be allowed to pass without considering how to minimise the negative effects of alcohol. Will the Minister of State outline the implementation of the recommendations of the Health Research Board's report?

Deputy John Perry

I am replying on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly.

Alcohol plays a significant role in society. However, it is no ordinary commodity. Alcohol is responsible for a considerable burden of health and social harm at individual and societal levels. The recent statistics published by the Health Research Board showed a rise in alcohol-related deaths between 2004 and 2008. These findings are from the first ever national report on trends in alcohol-related deaths and deaths among people who were alcohol dependent from the national drug-related deaths index. It showed there were 672 alcohol-related poisoning deaths recorded between 2004 and 2008. Two thirds of those who died were men and the majority were aged less than 50 years. The study also recorded an increase in the annual number of non-poisoning deaths of people who are alcohol dependent from 508 in 2004 to 799 in 2008. Most of these deaths were due to medical causes such as liver disease and cardiac conditions.

Irish adults drink in a more dangerous way than in many other countries. In 2009, the average Irish adult drank 11 litres of pure alcohol. Irish children are also drinking from a younger age and drinking more than ever before. Over half of 16 year old children have been drunk and one in five is a weekly drinker. The average age of first alcohol use in Ireland decreased from 16 years of age for children born in 1980 to 14 years of age for children born in 1990.

Additional significant information is that alcohol is a contributory factor in half of all suicides and is associated with 2,000 beds being occupied every night in acute hospitals. One quarter of injuries presenting to emergency departments are linked with alcohol. Many who drink alcohol also use other drugs, thus placing themselves at greater risk and complicating treatment responses.

In recent years, a significant shift has occurred in the share of alcohol sales from pubs to the off-trade sector such as dedicated off-licences and mixed traders such as supermarkets. The substance misuse strategy now being developed will focus on alcohol in particular and be taken in conjunction with the national drugs strategy as the overall national substance misuse strategy until the end of 2016. The terms of reference of the steering group include to review the evidence and best practice and decide on appropriate structures and frameworks with an effective implementation plan for the national substance misuse strategy. In particular, the strategy will address issues such as alcohol supply, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research. As part of an extensive consultation process, the steering group invited individuals and groups to submit their proposals on alcohol.

Given the range of health problems that can arise from alcohol consumption or where alcohol is a contributory factor, a central theme emerging is the need for a population health approach with regard to alcohol. While acknowledging that personal responsibility is important with respect to alcohol use, the State can play a crucial role by intervening to address the factors that cause difficulties and by tackling the negative consequences involved. The central aim is to reduce the amount of alcohol we drink in society. Increasing the age of initiation into drinking is seen as an important step towards achieving this.

Price, availability and marketing of alcohol are key factors in supply. Below-cost selling of alcohol should be banned. Prevention measures are also important and the strategy will consider how best to promote across society healthier lifestyle choices with alcohol. This strategy will also consider how best to develop a national integrated treatment and rehabilitation service for alcohol-related disorders and to encourage those affected to engage with and avail of such services.

The report of the national substance misuse strategy will be finalised at the end of September 2011. Following this, the Minister for Health will bring proposals to the Government which will address the broad range of measures required to prevent and tackle the harms caused by alcohol use and misuse.

The Dáil adjourned at 8 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Friday, 15 July 2011.

Dáil Éireann debate - Thursday, 14 Jul 2011