The debate on alcohol sponsorship in sport made it into the Dáil chamber recently and unlike a lot of the megaphone politics on the issue in recent months, the few TDs present combined to produce an informed and thoughtful session.
Our general perception of Dáil debates is scarred by the all-too-often farcical outbursts we see on our tv screens, but on this occasion it was refreshing to see that those who spoke on whether or not a ban on drinks companies sponsoring sporting events should be introduced were well prepared. For the first time it appeared that all the nuances within this problem are understood.
On the one hand, there is an acknowledgement that linking sport and alcohol in a culture which has an unhealthy relationship with drink is not a good idea; but on the other hand, the State's contribution to sport as an instrument of public good is so poor that to introduce a ban which takes millions out of sport without first finding alternative revenue sources would be catastrophic. Both sides of the debate had their say. So fair play to John O'Mahony, Alex White, Timmy Dooley, Jerry Buttimer, Mick Wallace, Maureen O'Sullivan, Eoghan Murphy, Derek Keating, Dessie Ellis, Róisín Shortall and Frank Feighan. They showed that serious issues can be properly teased out in the Dáil by people who know what they are talking about.
The trigger for this particular exchange was a report by the Joint Committee on Transport and Communication. The committee had sought the views of both sides before putting forward a set of recommendations, which John O'Mahony presented to the Dáil. The committee recommended that the sponsorship be allowed to remain until it can be replaced by other funding and, crucially, that if and when a ban is introduced, it should be when it is being implemented across Europe, and not just in Ireland.
Source: John Greene, Irish Independent, 18/11/13
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