Shortall committed to removing alcohol from sports and sponsorships

The Deputy Minister of State at the Department of Health Roisín Shortall has re-iterated her determination to put an end to sports advertising or sponsorship by drinks companies and intends bringing a memo to Government about this before the Summer.

The memo will provide for a number of measures to tackle alcohol abuse and is likely to include proposals on minimum pricing. In this regard she’s watching developments in Scotland where such a measure has now been passed by the Scottish parliament and will come into force next year.

In answer to a recent question from Donegal TD Charlie McCanalogue in the Dáil, she stated, “We know that when it comes to young people, sports advertising and sponsorship by alcohol companies is effective. That is why so much money is put into it. I am committed to phasing out that over a reasonable period of time”.

She added, “There are contractual arrangements in place at present and I am working with the different national sporting bodies to agree a proposal to phase out that over a period of time”.