16 Aib 2013, 12:28
Representatives from Alcohol Action Ireland and the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland will be before the Committee on Transport and Communications to discuss the implications of a possible ban on the sponsorship of major sporting events by alcohol drinks companies.
16 April 2013
Addressing the Committee will be Prof Joe Barry and Dr Bobby Smith of Alcohol Action Ireland and Dr William Flannery of the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland. Both organisations are expected to put forward the case for legislation to ban sponsorship of major sporting events by alcohol drinks companies. The Committee, which shadows the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, hosted a meeting on the issue before the Easter recess.
Committee Chairman Tom Hayes TD says: “Last year, proposals to curb alcohol misuse were presented by a Department of Health Steering Group which included the phasing out of alcohol sponsorship of sporting and cultural events by 2016. At our last meeting, the heads of the GAA, FAI and IRFU outlined to the Committee the adverse financial impact of such a move for their respective organisations. In continuing our careful consideration of the matter, tomorrow we will have an opportunity to hear the alternative perspective from long standing advocates of such a ban.\"
The Committee will commence with scrutiny of a series of EU legislative proposals: COM(2012)178; COM(2012)263; COM(2012)470; COM(2012)532; COM(2012)607 and COM(2012)613.
The meeting takes place at 11 am tomorrow 17 April in Committee Room 4, LH 2000, and can be viewed online via the following link.
For further information contact:
Paul Hand,
Communications Unit,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
Committee Membership
Deputies
Michael Colreavy, Sinn Féin
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil
Dessie Ellis, Sinn Féin
Terence Flanagan, Fine Gael
Tom Fleming, Independent
Noel Harrington, Fine Gael
Tom Hayes, Fine Gael (Chairman)
Seán Kenny, Labour
Eamonn Moloney, Labour
Michael Moynihan, Fianna Fáil
Patrick O’Donovan, Fine Gael
John O’Mahony, Fine Gael (Vice-Chairman)
Ann Phelan, Labour
Brian Walsh, Fine Gael
Senators
Terry Brennan
Sean D. Barrett
Eamonn Coghlan
Paschal Mooney
Ned O’Sullivan
John Whelan