Alcohol consumption in Ireland increases to almost 12 litres per adult person
The amount of alcohol being consumed by Irish adults increased last year for the second year in a row, provisional figures from the Central Statistics Office and Revenue Commissioners show.
Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health, told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health he “just got the provisional figures from the CSO” which showed the average per capita consumption of pure alcohol increased from 11.9 litres in 2010 to 12 litres (11.97 litres) last year.
“That’s against the background of increased affordability of alcohol.”
Dr Holohan was addressing the committee as chairman of the Department’s steering group the National Substance Misuse Strategy, along with Minister of State for primary care, Róisín Shortall. The strategy aims to cut average alcohol consumption to 9.1 litres of alcohol per adult.
The Committee also heard about plans to end home deliveries of alcohol.
The Alcohol and Beverage Federation of Ireland argues alcohol consumption has been declining since the high point of 2006, when the average was 13.4 litres per adult.
Ms Shortall told the Committee she planned to end ’distance sales’ of alcohol, to include the purchase of alcohol on-line from supermarkets, from take-away and off-license delivery services.
“I’ve spoken to the Garda Commissioner in recent months and he’s coming back to me on it. The question is whether we need a change in law or greater enforcement of legislation.”
There was unanimous support from all members of the Committee for the Strategy, which calls for a ban on all sponsorship by drinks companies of sporting and large outdoor events, a ban on all outdoor advertising of alcohol, an increase in excise duties on some alcohol products and the introduction of a minimum price per gram of alcohol.
Chair Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) said it was “important our unhealthy relationship with alcohol is faced head on. We must have the courage of our convictions”.
Denis Naughton (Fine Gael) said: “We all accept the huge and damaging impact alcohol is having on Irish families.” He criticised supermarket advertisements this weekend “focusing on special drinks promotions for St Patrick’s Day”.
Asked about plans to commence 2008 legislation to compel supermarkets to segregate alcohol from other groceries, Dr Holohan said the steering group’s wish had been to ban alcohol from being sold in ’mixed trading’ outlets altogether.
“But the pragmatic point of view was to use legislation already in place.”
This, combined with a minimum price per gram of alcohol to end alcohol being sold very cheaply, would have an impact on overall alcohol consumption.
Asked what sort of minimum price the Department was looking at, he said the Scottish parliament was planning a price of between 5c and 10c per gram of alcohol.
If a minimum price of 7c per gram were legislated for here, a 500 ml can of beer with an alcohol content of four per cent would have to cost at least €1.40, he said. Or a 750ml bottle of wine with an alcohol content of 13 per cent would be priced at a minimum of €6.82.
The ’unit’ measurement was confusing he said. For example, a strong, craft beer contained more alcohol than a light larger and yet a half pint of ’beer’ was said to be one unit.
Legislation would be introduced to ensure all alcoholic products were labelled with details of how many grams of alcohol and calories were in the product. “Then there will be no confusion, no ambiguity.”
Oil find off Cork in Irish waters: Well raises 3,514 barrels a day
The GSF Arctic III semisubmersible rig is drilling the Barryroe prospect off the coast of Cork
EXPLORATION company Providence Resources has struck oil and discovered the first commercial well off the Irish coast.
Providence said flows in Barryroe, 50km from the west Cork coast, are almost double the 1,800 barrels of oil per day (bopd) barrier set by the firm as being commercial.
Tests are also being carried out on gas flow rates in the area.
Tony O’Reilly, chief executive of Providence, said flow rates of 3,514 bopd have been discovered at 100-metre depth in the North Celtic Sea Basin.
“The well has also confirmed that the basal sands are laterally continuous, highly productive and that the oils are of a very high quality,” he said.
The test area covered 300 sq km – equivalent to a medium to large North Sea oil field – and was bigger than expected with much better flow rates than first hoped for.
Providence Resources made the announcement on the Dublin and London stock exchanges.
This is the fifth time oil has been hit during explorations of the Barryroe licensing block, but the other wells fell below the commercialisation target when examined in the 1970s and 1990.
Mr O’Reilly said while the original drills confirmed oil accumulations, modern technology in the industry – including 3D surveys – had brought exploration on leaps and bounds.
He claimed the find was great for the other explorations aroundIreland.
Tests will continue at sites off Wexford, Dublin, Shannon, Kerry and Northern Ireland over the next two years, he added.
“Barryroe is the pathfinder project for the Celtic Sea,” he said.
“It’s important for itself but it also helps raise the stakes in terms of other opportunities in the Celtic Sea.”
Providence Resources and Lansdowne Oil and Gas, which has a 20pc stake of the exploration licence, are seeking partners for the drilling and development phases at Ballyroe.
Mr O’Reilly said he hopes the discovery will lead to the creation of an onshore oil industry in the country.
“We’ve always said as an Irish company we want to utilise as much Irish infrastructure and resources as we can,” he added.
“We don’t have an oil industry in Ireland, but I hope that something like Barryroe and the success we are getting in that will thrive more interest in creating more of an infrastructure in Ireland.”
Mr O’Reilly said all the equipment, personnel and services he needs to work on a well come from Aberdeen.
“Why can’t we have a surface industry in Ireland to service the Irish offshore?” he added.
Shares in Providence Resources soared last month after the company said it had found light crude oil in a large sandstone reservoir about 7,550ft under the sea off the south coast.
Providence holds an 80pc interest in the licence and operates it on behalf of its partners, San Leon Energy and Lansdowne Oil and Gas.
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