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Underage Drinking

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 February 2013

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Questions (20)

Michael Moynihan

Question:

20. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the role her Department is playing is discouraging underage drinking; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7346/13]

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Written answers

The prime responsibility for policy in the prevention and treatment of harm from the abuse of Alcohol lies with the Department of Health, which published the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy in February, 2012 to provide an integrated response to the misuse of alcohol and other substances.

The report contains a range of recommendations to, among other things, reduce the consumption of alcohol in general. The recommendations are grouped under five pillars of Supply Reduction (availability), Prevention, Treatment, Rehabilitation and Research. The Report contains a range of recommendations which impact directly and indirectly on the problem of excessive youth alcohol consumption. My Department is represented on the National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Alcohol which involves a number of Government Departments and key stake-holders who are working to develop integrated approaches to tackle this important issue.

My Department is responsible for a number of youth programmes which support the development of children and young people, including the development of alcohol and drug policies in youth settings. These programmes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme and the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund in particular but also include programmes which support a range of youth work organisations. This work will continue to be developed throughout all youth organisations under the National Quality Standards Framework for Youth Work which was launched in July 2010 and through the new Youth Policy Strategy which is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

In addition, my Department and the Health Promotion Unit of the Health Service Executive (HSE) are working in partnership with the National Youth Council of Ireland in implementing the National Youth Health Programme. The objective of the partnership is to provide a broad based, flexible health promotion/education support and training service, including making healthy choices in relation to alcohol, to youth organisations and those working with young people in non-formal education settings.

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