Ireland: Taoiseach appeals to Northern Ireland for minimum alcohol prices amid fears of bulk cross-border buying
By Senan Molony
May 12, 2021
The Taoiseach has appealed to Northern Ireland to join the Republic in introducing Minimum Unit Pricing.
His plea came after he was told by a Government backbencher that unilateral action — making lower-market alcohol more expensive from next January – would lead to “droves” from the South heading across the border to bulk-buy.
“This legislation is right, but at the wrong time,” said Louth TD Peter Fitzpatrick of Fine Gael. “If this legislation is to be successful, which we all want, then it has to be introduced at the same time on both sides.”
He added: “We’re seven months out from the introduction of minimum unit pricing next January. And I would appeal to the Northern Ireland Executive and to all political parties in the North, and to anyone with influence on the parties to support a measure like this within Northern Ireland so that we would have complete alignment.”
There had been discussions between the two Departments of Health, he said, “and the indications were from the Northern Ireland Executive were that they were not looking at this at all until 2023.” In contrast there had been all-party agreement in the Dáil as far back as 2018.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the obvious reasons for the move was because the below-cost selling of alcohol was harming children and young people in particular.
“Some of the figures are quite horrendous. Ireland has the highest level for example of adolescent binge drinking in the world at 61% for females and 58.8% for males, according to a global study on adolescent health, published in The Lancet in March 2019,” he said.
“In terms of the impact on hospitalisation and mortality, the cost of alcohol-related discharges from hospital in 2012 was €1.5 billion. The estimated costs of alcohol-related absenteeism from work was €41 million in 2013. One in seven workers suffered problems due to others drinking in 2015, including one in 20 workers who reported having to work extra hours due to co-workers drinking .
“There are wider issues in terms of hospitalisations. It’s estimated now that the number of hospitalisations wholly attributed with alcohol has risen by 94pc – 94pc — between 1995 and 2018, going up from 9,420 to 18,348.”
From 2008 to 2017 there were 10,000 alcohol-related deaths, and the Heath Research Board reckons this data is likely to be an underestimate of mortality, he said.
Alcohol was also killing people through cancer, the Taoiseach said.
“The National Cancer Registry estimates that at current consumption levels, male cancer levels attributable to with alcohol will increase in 2035 by 37% and female cancer cases by 110pc. Hence we need to move on this.”
Mr Fitzpatrick said businesses in his home town of Dundalk were very concerned because cross-border alcohol trips would also involve grocery shopping and expenditure on other goods that would otherwise be spent in the south. He claimed drink costs in the South would be double those available in Northern Ireland in many cases.
“I fully support this legislation, but it’s being introduced at the wrong time,” he said, echoing claims made last week at the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.
“This will have devastating effects in local businesses, particularly in the border areas. This island had an opportunity to work together, and I find that it’s a missed opportunity.”
The Taoiseach replied: “I do believe that the Northern Executive should align itself with this policy, and I would appeal to the parties there to give this serious consideration – because it’s designed to help young people and children and to avoid the exploitation of below-cost selling to create the type of consumption that it does create.”
He added: “All the studies on alcohol show that the harms caused by the misuse of alcohol is closely related to the time of initiation into alcohol consumption.
“The earlier you start drinking, the greater the likelihood of problems down the line, later on in life.
“And we do know from tobacco and other areas that price does matter, particularly in respect of children and young people. But yes, we will contact the Northern Authorities and continue our engagement on this matter.”