The poll was conducted on Saturday November 13th on a representative sample of 1,292 people. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.8%. A group of 4,000 were selected to take part from a larger group of 35,000 on the basis of matching their demographics to the exit poll and census data on the basis of their age, gender, vote, educational attainment, and religious adherence from a panel of 35,000. The responses were then weighted to ensure they were exactly representative of the country in terms of age, gender, region, educational attainment, religious adherence and past voting behaviour. This follows the latest research from Pew and the AAPOR. Dr Kevin Cunningham holds a degree in statistics from Oxford University and is a consultant to some of the leading polling companies in the world.

• 70% back stopping alcohol adverts from being shown on TV before 9pm.
• 68% back restrictions to limit what alcohol advertising children see and hear.
• 66% back stopping alcohol adverts from being streamed on social media channels

The findings indicate overwhelming public support for action on alcohol advertising – yet legal measures to curb such ads to children remain unimplemented. Significant alcohol advertising measures, enacted by the Public Health Alcohol Act in 2018, remain dormant.  For nearly three years, the Minister has been citing consultation and work with others as reason for the inordinate delay.

The principal objective of these measures is to limit children’s exposure to alcohol advertising. In particular, the Broadcast watershed (Section 19), which removes alcohol advertising from television until 9pm. This measure, if commenced by Minister Donnelly, would put a significant curb on children’s exposure to alcohol advertising especially during daytime broadcasts where live sports feature so prominently.

According to the recent Broadcasting Authority of Ireland’s ‘Statutory Report on the Effect of the BAI Children’s Commercial Communications Code’ (2021), 7 of the top 10 TV Programmes for Irish children, aged 4-17 years, were live sports broadcasts: GAA, Rugby and Soccer.

The Content of Advertisements (Section 13) equally remains dormant; in operation it has the potential to transform what children will see and hear in future alcohol advertising as placements become largely a utilitarian expression void of human experiences. Critically were Section 13 commenced, all self-regulatory, voluntary codes, administered by Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) would become redundant and replaced by a statutory code.