437. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if she will be updating the evidence base in relation to alcohol sponsorship of sport, as was committed to in the 2014 'Report of the Working Group on Regulating Sponsorship by Alcohol Companies of Major Sporting Events'; if she is aware of recent research on how alcohol sponsorship of sports drives child and youth alcohol consumption (details supplied); and if she is aware that youth alcohol consumption now stands at 78%, only slightly down from 2002 when it stood at approximately 82% and was considered a public health crisis. [23466/26].

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister for Health: My Department continuously monitors and evaluates evidence in relation to the public health aspects of alcohol consumption as it becomes available.

Alcohol advertising and sponsorship were considered at length in the lead up to the publication of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. The issue was examined by the then Joint Committee for Transport and Communications with stakeholders from sporting organisations as well as the alcohol industry, the College of Psychiatrists in Ireland and Alcohol Action Ireland.

The Committee concluded that banning sponsorship of sports by the alcohol industry was not merited at this time and made a number of recommendations including that a prohibition on sponsorship by the alcohol industry should only be considered if it were done on a pan-European basis in order to ensure that Irish sports and sporting organisations are not operating at a disadvantage relative to their international competitors.

In addition, following a Government Decision, a Working Group on Regulating Sponsorship by Alcohol Companies of Major Sporting Events was established. The Group had representation from a number of Government Departments and was chaired by the Department of An Taoiseach. As part of its work, the Group conducted a consultation, inviting evidence-based responses to questions on the impacts of alcohol sponsorship on consumption.

The Group's final report set out that it had not been able to reach clear evidence-based conclusions on the actual costs and benefits of further regulation of sponsorship by alcohol companies of major sporting events. The Group therefore concluded that the most useful approach would be to identify a range of options which could be taken and seek to elaborate the likely advantages and disadvantages of each approach, to inform consideration by Government.

The Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 was developed to address the harms caused by alcohol consumption in Ireland. The Act contains a suite of measures aimed at reducing alcohol consumption and harm generally and specifically delaying the age of initiation of alcohol use and reducing consumption among young people.

The Act is designed to achieve those objective by protecting children from exposure to alcohol products and alcohol advertising. Measures already in operation include restrictions on alcohol advertising on public transport, near schools, creches and playgrounds. In addition advertising has been restricted on television and radio and at events aimed at children. Alcohol products and advertising are also separated from other groceries in mixed retail outlets in order to reduce the likelihood that children will be exposed to them.

Regulations relating to advertisements under Section 13 of the Act are currently being developed in conjunction with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.