Latest news with #PublicHealthAlcoholAct
Irish Examiner
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Letters to the Editor: Simon Harris backed us but he has U-turned on alcohol warning labels
At our 19-year-old son's inquest in 2011, the coroner determined that his death was 'suicide with alcohol a contributing factor'. The coroner allowed me to address the court, and as a result, our views on alcohol received a lot of media attention. Our views were that it was too cheap, too available, and the country was saturated with advertisements. We gave our support to the passing of the Public Health Alcohol Act. When the bill was passed, the then health minister Simon Harris thanked my wife and I publicly for our input into getting the bill passed. At the time, I had great respect for Mr Harris and his unwavering determination to take on the alcohol industry. In the past few weeks, something really strange happened: first, finance minister Paschal Donohoe called for health warning labels on alcohol, which were due to become law in May 2026, to be shelved. His reason was that with the tariffs on alcohol the labelling would be detrimental to the alcohol industry — which I might add is absolute nonsense. Shortly afterwards, Simon Harris backed him on his stance. To say we are disappointed is an understatement. I find it hard to understand why a man who fought such a sterling battle against the alcohol industry has now become a traitor to what we fought for. Some might think that these are harsh words, but when you consider the time and effort that so many people and organisations put into the passage of the Public Health Alcohol Act and the unrelenting concentrated efforts by the alcohol industry to derail the passage of the bill, I think these words are justified. To try to reverse something that he was instrumental in passing is beyond belief. Mr Harris' words of praise for us are now meaningless, and I'm sure those in the alcohol industry are clapping their hands with glee at his about-turn. John Higgins, Ballina, Co Mayo Jesus in 2025 would welcome women priests I really enjoyed TP O'Mahony's article — 'Scaled-down papacy with women given greater influence in Catholic Church's future' (Irish Examiner, May 5) to be a most compelling read. Mr O'Mahony examines the possibility about a future female Pope. He then poses the question: Is this notion fanciful or fantasy? Canon Law (Canon 1024) states: 'Only a baptised man can validly receive sacred ordination.' The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus chose only men as apostles, a tradition reinforced by Pope John Paul II in 1994. Since the early Catholic Church, no woman has been ordained a priest. I would like to point out the theological difference in the Pontifical Biblical Commission in 1976 where it found nothing in scripture that ruled out women from becoming priests. I believe that it's always important to remember that the early Catholic Church had women in leadership positions. It's a cause of great concern to me that women who espouse their faith today are part of an institution that does not recognise them as equal. We have to remind ourselves that women make up half of the world's population and yet it was patently clear at Pope Francis's funeral, that 50% of the global population was not represented at the pope's obsequies. We seem stuck on the notion of Jesus having chosen 12 men as being the model of selection that we must emulate. It's my contention that the avant-garde Jesus in 2025 would welcome women priests. The Church's fundamental focus is on the Eucharist which is buttressed and undergirded by the consecration, which is the changing of water into wine. It's my humble opinion that it would be within the gift of women priests to perform this sacred ritual. It might not be such a chimeric notion to think that in 30 years from now the presence of women as priests, bishops, and cardinals could well be commonplace. The logical, rational part of me believes the male priesthood is going to stay for now. However with the paucity of clergy, the Church will have to take a serious look at how it will minister to its flock, considering the dwindling number of priests within the Church's ranks. John O'Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here Reasons why women cannot be ordained The recent passing of Pope Francis has occasioned the usual comment from the usual quarters about the Catholic Church 'needing to ordain women priests'; views coming from lapsed Catholics or avowed secularists. That being the case, they may be unfamiliar with the reasons why women are not ordained. It is not merely a question of tradition, though 'tradition' comes into it, begun by the founder of the Church, one Jesus Christ. Jesus — as he himself explained, and St Paul and others confirmed — came to Earth to be 'the new Adam' who would undo the disobedience of Genesis Adam, by 'obedience to God, even unto death on the cross' (Philippians 2:8). The Catholic Church believes the priesthood is a continuation of this role, when the Catholic priest celebrates Mass, he does not merely perform a series of ceremonial actions or words, but becomes 'in persona Christi', saying 'this is my body, my blood'. The Catholic Church is thus not free to alter this fact unless God does so — see the Catholic Catechism para 1577. A woman aiming to enter the Catholic priesthood is putting herself forward to take on the role of Jesus, the new Adam, and high priest, in contradiction of the plan of salvation as devised by God. She would therefore be embarking on a career path saying 'no' to the very God she would claim to be serving — hardly an auspicious start to any career. Nick Folley, Carrigaline, Co Cork Conclave countermeasure to zealotry of Trump I am hopeful that the 132 'other' cardinals in conclave were guided by divine intervention of the global need for a homemade countermeasure to the zealotry of Donald Trump. Michael Gannon, Saint Thomas Sq, Kilkenny City What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here Pope Leo will follow in footsteps of Pope Francis America, and the world, has a new Pope, but not the one Donald Trump hoped for himself. Although he was an unexpected choice, he appears to be a very good choice. From what is being reported, Pope Leo XIV will follow in the footsteps of Pope Francis. The Church needs to be all encompassing as its members are more diverse than they used to be. My own Catholic childhood, in the 1960s, of old Irish priests with accents so broad I had trouble following what they were saying, are so long gone. Now we have priests from any country — although in my parish, not from America yet. There are also old tweets from Pope Leo XIV commenting on Trump and Vance, which will make their first meeting interesting. Maybe there will need to be some divine intervention there. In welcoming the Pope to the job and wishing him good luck, I just hope that he will be aware of the truth of the people he meets, as not all great people are good people. Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia Catastrophic genocide in Gaza must be ended The genocide in Gaza is now becoming catastrophic. The warnings by Dr Michael Ryan (WHO), Peter Power (Unicef), and the UN Secretary General António Guterres are being ignored by the Irish Government and by the so-called international community, who have abandoned the Palestinian people, and ignored their responsibilities towards the proper rule of international and humanitarian laws. Too many of these organisations and their leaders are actively assisting or being complicit in the genocide. The UN has been rendered powerless by abuses of the powers of veto. The Irish Government is failing to take all necessary measures to prevent or punish breaches of the Genocide Convention. By allowing the US military to use Shannon Airport, Ireland may be in breach of Article III (e) Complicity in Genocide. Ireland has failed to effectively use its membership of the UN and EU to advocate on behalf of the Palestinian people, and to uphold international humanitarian laws. Its plans to remove the triple lock undermines the role of the UN, and it is failing to process the Occupied Territories Bill in a timely manner. It is too late to save the Palestinian people who have already been killed, or to undo the physical and mental trauma suffered by millions of Palestinians. Up to 100 Palestinians are now dying daily, by Israeli bombs and bullets, and by starvation and diseases due to the Israeli blockade and destruction of medical facilities. Israel plans to expand its military offensive, and to capture and hold the territory of Gaza. Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the cabinet had decided that Gaza's 2.1m population 'will be moved, to protect it'. This expanded military offensive, and ethnic cleansing, is likely to cost the lives of many more Palestinians. This genocide must be ended, and all those responsible for it, or complicit in it, must be held to account as soon as possible, otherwise all of humanity is in danger, as the rule of brute force replaces the proper rule of law. Edward Horgan, Castletroy, Limerick
Irish Examiner
07-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
We deserve better than delays to landmark health legislation
Even in the snakes and ladders that is politics, it's unusual to stop a piece of reform that you yourself created and championed. Last week Simon Harris responded to a question in the Dáil saying that the government needs to 'give consideration to the timeline for the implementation' of health information labelling on alcohol products, due to the 'new trade environment' brought about by American tariffs. This is the alcohol industry's dream outcome, one that delays, yet again, a key part of the country's Public Health Alcohol Act. First proposed in 2012, introduced to the Oireachtas in 2015, it took three years for the Public Health Alcohol Act to get through the Dáil, despite the powerful alcohol lobby's best efforts to stop it. It was hailed upon its passage as groundbreaking legislation by Harris himself and strongly supported by the coalition leader Micheál Martin. Since 2018 measures have been slowly, painstakingly, introduced as part of the overall commitment to reduce the harm of alcohol. The planned introduction of labelling to inform the public of the harms of alcohol is one measure due to be introduced in May 2026. And this is the key measure that the government is now saying that its timing 'merits consideration' under the convenient, but misleading guise, of Donald Trump's tariffs. One thousand cancers caused by alcohol are diagnosed every year in this country. File photo: Patrick Bolger/Bloomberg It is misleading because conflating Irish exports with labelling is one of the many tactics used by Ireland's alcohol lobby to do everything they can to stymie, water down and prevent the Public Health Alcohol Act. American tariffs have nothing to do with labels on alcohol in this country because the labelling only applies to alcohol sold in Ireland. Unfortunately the industry can label any way they like if they are exporting, while some bottles for sale in Ireland are already labelled in preparation for the introduction of this aspect of the legislation, following detailed notification processes to the EU Commission and the World Trade Organisation. The alcohol industry's classic tactics include never saying 'no', but always pressing and pressuring to delay. With each delay is the possibility that the measure won't actually happen, and the alcohol industry's profits will continue to be protected and to soar. Big Alcohol In 2023, the Institute of Alcohol Studies estimated that the revenue of the global alcohol industry was $1.17 trillion. That is higher than the GDP of 179 countries. To put it another way, there are only 16 countries in the world that have a higher GDP than the alcohol industry makes in revenue each year. Their influence on government is extremely powerful. The economic environment is difficult at the moment, but what the Fine Gael position manages to forget is the reality that alcohol causes health, social and economic harms to us. We have the third highest rate of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in the world. One third of our children live with a parent who regularly drinks heavily or is dependent on alcohol. One thousand cancers caused by alcohol are diagnosed every year in this country. We know that a reduction in alcohol consumption will directly lead to better health. 1,500 hospital beds are in use today because of alcohol and 30% of emergency department presentations arise from alcohol. Fighting against these grim statistics was the driving vision of the legislation that every politician in the Dáil supported in 2018, with all but two TDs voting for it. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has legitimately garnered acclaim for his political leadership on public health; he introduced the workplace smoking ban in 2004 despite huge lobbying from Big Tobacco. Then we were world leaders on standing for the public in the face of industry tactics. 'Policy dystopia' Big Alcohol uses a classic model called 'policy dystopia', basically creating alarming economic stories that spread in newspapers, through constituents in TD's local areas, commissioning research that agrees with its view, and meeting with ministers and policy makers. The policy dystopia model is designed to scare politicians, to get them to buckle from their original commitments. Yet Irish governments since the late 1970s have resisted huge pressure from Big Tobacco to stop warnings measures being put on cigarette packets. It was at the height of the financial crisis in 2011 that we put photographic health warnings on tobacco packs. Do we regret doing that? The alcohol industry also knows that labelling is protective only over a longer time period. Cigarette labelling didn't have an immediate effect. If you were addicted or dependent on tobacco, you put more effort into ignoring the images. But what happens with labelling is that it subtly but profoundly changes the minds of children. This is not about being pro-wine or anti-wine. It is about creating these subtle shifts in the environment, so that our children grow up seeing alcohol slightly differently to us. 'Hypocrite's trap' The other thing the alcohol industry knows and uses against us is the 'hypocrite's trap'. If I drink alcohol I really cannot advocate for health labels on it. It makes me a hypocrite. The effect of this is that we self-censor, feeling we don't have the right to say this is wrong. The alcohol industry's influence on us is extremely disempowering precisely for this reason. Taoiseach Martin, ministers Harris and Carroll MacNeill and many of their seasoned political colleagues know too well the pressure they come under from big private sector interests. It is the minister for health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill who would sign an order delaying health labelling. Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Simon Harris and many of their seasoned political colleagues know too well the pressure they come under from big private sector interests. File photo: Fergal Phillips Is the minister really going to allow her own department's policy to be derailed, or is she going to stand up for health given her remarks last week about pressure on Emergency Departments and hospital beds? Politicians know what is needed to stand for the public good. Surely we deserve better. Sara Burke is Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management in the School of Medicine Norah Campbell is Associate Professor in the School of Business in Trinity College Dublin
Irish Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Mandatory alcohol warning labels could be reconsidered due to tariff impact on industry
Tánaiste Simon Harris has cast doubt over the planned introduction of mandatory alcohol warning labels by next May, due to the potential impact US tariffs could have on the drinks industry. The warnings, messages placed on alcoholic beverage containers or packaging to inform about the potential health risks of drinking, are due to be introduced under the Public Health Alcohol Act in May 2026. Asked about the timeline for implementation, Mr Harris said this was 'something we do have to give consideration to' in light of the proposed tariffs on alcohol being imported from the European Union to the United States . 'We find ourselves in a very new trade environment and we always say we have to try and control what we can control. This is certainly something that merits at least considering in that space when we hear the concerns being expressed,' he told the Dáil on Thursday. READ MORE 'I'm not in a position to say today what exact decision the Government will make but I can say the timeline around implementation is certainly under consideration.' Mr Harris's comments come weeks after Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said the introduction of warning labels on alcohol products would need to be 'carefully examined again'. Representative groups for the drinks industry have warned the introduction of US tariffs on alcohol from the EU could potentially be 'devastating'. Sheila Gilheany, chief executive of Alcohol Action Ireland , said the organisation was 'absolutely shocked' by Mr Harris's comments. 'Labelling of alcohol products is a health issue and has nothing to do with Ireland's exports as the regulations only apply to products sold in Ireland. While in relation to imports, or home-produced products, the legal onus is on retailers, not producers/manufacturers, to ensure products are labelled,' she said. 'Therefore, a supermarket, or off-licence, can simply add a sticker to the product. Linking labelling to the 'trading environment' is an industry red herring and it should be called out as such by politicians. She added: 'It is deeply disappointing that Simon Harris, who as Minister for Health steered through the Public Health (Alcohol) Act in 2018, which gave rise to the regulations, now appears to have fallen for industry spin.' In a recent interview with The Irish Times, Prof Mary Horgan, interim chief medical officer, said though she understood Government members were looking at the issue 'from a different perspective', she warned of the importance of labels. 'We've done a lot of work and research in the area; all I can talk about is the public health message about alcohol, and labelling is important to get that across.' Under the law, once implemented, all bottles, cans and other containers must contain a back label stating: drinking alcohol causes liver disease; there is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers; a warning symbol for drinking when pregnant; and the website The label should also state the quantity of grams of alcohol and the energy value expressed in kilojoules and kilocalories. The label must be at least 60mm wide and not less than 30mm high surrounded by a black border.
