Health Minister James Reilly says he “absolutely supports” the introduction of minimum pricing for alcohol.
His comments came as the Cabinet prepares to consider a long-awaited Government action plan on alcohol which is set to include proposals on minimum pricing, alcohol sponsorship and advertising.
Alex White, the junior health minister responsible for the alcohol strategy, publicly conceded yesterday there would be opposition to some of the measures, decisions on which would be made “shortly”.
Speaking at the National Alcohol Awareness Week conference, Mr White said the Government was “not going to wait” to see how alcohol measures in other countries fared and would take a lead. This was being interpreted as a possible reference to events in Britain last week where prime minister David Cameron did a U-turn on plans to introduce minimum pricing in England and Wales. Observers have speculated on whether it might affect the decision of the Cabinet here, where four ministers have already expressed opposition to, or concern with, key proposals.
There is also uncertainty as to what, if any, effect Downing St’s decision will have on plans by the North’s administration to introduce minimum pricing. The Government here has pushed for an all-island approach to minimum pricing, to avoid cross-border trade developing. It is also keeping an eye on events in Scotland which has passed legislation on minimum pricing but has not yet enforced it.
Speaking at a health conference, Mr Reilly said he “absolutely supports” minimum pricing for alcohol and said he had been in talks with his Northern counterpart Edwin Poots to introduce it simultaneously.
Source: Cormac O’Keeffe and Evelyn Ring, Irish Examiner, 21/03/13
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