791. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the health impacts of the introduction of a minimum unit price on alcohol since it came into force; if a review by the Health Research Board will be conducted in relation to this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33835/25] 

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister for Health: Minimum unit pricing (MUP) came into operation in January 2022. The Public Health (Alcohol) Act provides that the Minister may, by order, increase the minimum price per gram of alcohol no earlier than 3 years after commencement. The Act specifies that the Minister must take into account any expert research available on the effectiveness of the measure as well as have regard to criteria set out at section 11(5) of the Act. 

In November 2024, the Alcohol Act Technical Evaluation Group (AATEG) was established to evaluate the provisions of the Public Heath (Alcohol) Act 2018, including MUP, and is required to submit an interim report on its progress to me by the end of the year.