191. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Health the estimated savings to the health sector if alcohol consumption fell by 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%, respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7912/18]

192. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Health the estimated improvements in life expectancy by 2030 and 2050 if alcohol consumption fell by 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%, respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7913/18]

193. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Health his plans to give priority to reducing alcohol consumption by 25% by 2030 in view of the fact that it is a major factor in a range of illnesses, particularly high rates of cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7914/18]

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Catherine Byrne): I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 to 193, inclusive, together.

The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill is in the Programme for a Partnership Government and is currently undergoing second stage in the Dáil Eireann. One of the primary policy objectives of the Bill is to reduce alcohol consumption to 9.1 litres of pure alcohol per person per annum by 2020. This equates to a 20 % reduction of the 2016 consumption figure of 11.46 litres.   The remaining policy objective are to:   - delay the initiation of alcohol consumption by children and young people;   - reduce the harms caused by the misuse of alcohol; and   - regulate the supply and price of alcohol in order to minimise the possibility and incidence of alcohol related harm.

These objectives were developed in recognition that alcohol causes harms to health, significant costs to the Exchequer and that alcohol consumption in Ireland remains high.

The principles guiding the objectives are that the harms of alcohol make it unlike other grocery products, that consumers should be able to make informed choices about their drinking and that it is time that children and young people’s relationship with alcohol was addressed.

Research carried out by the University of Sheffield on behalf of the Department of Health indicates that both Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) and promotion ban policies are effective at improving alcohol related health outcomes. The estimated impact of a 10 cent MUP as set out in the Bill, indicates that among high risk drinkers alcohol attributable deaths per 100,000 drinkers will reduce by 69 per year and among low risk drinkers, alcohol attributable deaths per 100,000 drinkers will reduce by 1 per year

In terms of hospital admissions, there would be an estimated 5,878 fewer alcohol attributable admissions each year for high risk drinker groups. The annual rate of alcohol attributable admissions per 100,000 drinkers is estimated to reduce by 1,964 for high risk drinkers and by 28 for low risk drinkers. The majority of these gains are in improved chronic disease outcomes, particularly alcoholic liver disease.