Traffic diversions at Bandon Road Roundabout will take place over 4 nights from the night of Monday 16th January 2012 to the night of Thursday 19th January 2012 inclusive.  For more information click here.

Posted under Carrigaline, Cork City, Douglas, Infastructure, Transport, Uncategorized

The Committee on Health and Children today, Thursday, 17th November met with representatives from the advertising industry and the advertising watchdog organisations to discuss the role of advertising in marketing alcohol and the effects of this on young people. 
 
Chairman of the Committee on Health and Children, Jerry Buttimer, TD said: “Our meeting today provided the Committee with an opportunity to express our serious concerns about some of the advertising techniques and methods employed by the industry.  Members of the Committee are not naïve enough to believe that sole responsibility for the problems of alcohol use in young people rests with the advertising industry.  However, the industry must take responsibility for the way they portray alcohol as an attractive commodity for young people.  Young people are impressionable and the image of alcohol being glamorous must be called into question.  It would be remiss of the members of the Committee if they did not highlight these issues when we can. 
 
The Committee will continue, over the coming weeks, to focus and prioritise the issues of alcohol availability and use, pricing, marketing and advertising.  We are on target with our preparation and planned publication of our report on our findings.  As I have previously said, I intend that our report will assist the Government in its plans to address the problem of alcohol misuse in a comprehensive and meaningful way.”

Posted under Health, Uncategorized

Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, Jerry Buttimer, TD, is encouraging businesses, support agencies and individuals to contribute to a review of the voluntary code for sale and display of alcohol products.  Deputy Buttimer was welcoming the announcement by Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Mr. Alan Shatter, TD, to review the effectiveness of the voluntary approach.
 
“Across all sectors of society we have seen problems with self-regulation and voluntary-regulation.  Because the misuse of alcohol can have devastating effects it is imperative that we review the voluntary code on sale and display.  We must examine the effectiveness of the code, assessing if we would be better served implementing the statutory rules.
 
“As our relationship with alcohol has changed we must reconsider how we regulate its sale and display.  In 2009 the average adult in Ireland drank 11.9 litres of pure alcohol, double what was consumed in 1960.  For people born in 1980 the average age of first alcohol use was 16 years of age contrasting with an average age of 14 years for those born in 1990.  This increased use of alcohol has economic and social effects across society.
 
“Over the last few weeks I have led the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children in discussing the merits of a minimum pricing policy for alcohol.  We are currently holding a series of meetings looking at the impact of alcohol marketing.  At our most recent meeting representatives of Tabor Lodge confirmed that alcohol is our national drug of choice and that we need to cultivate a more responsible relationship with it.
 
“I welcome the announcement by the Minister to review the voluntary code on the sale and display of alcohol.  For policy to be relevant and effective it must evolve to keep pace with changes in society.  If the Minister’s review is to reflect our current attitudes towards alcohol it is important that businesses, support agencies and any person interested in alcohol policy participates in this review.  I encourage them to use this opportunity to make submissions.”

Posted under Uncategorized