Alcohol Action Ireland Activities 2004 – 2005.

During the past year a number of submissions were made to relevant bodies reviewing aspects of alcohol policy. In addition, numerous interviews were given on national and local radio as well as a  few tv interviews. National newspapers carried some comments and articles from Alcohol Action Ireland. We have also written letters and held meetings with individual politicians both government and opposition.

January 2004
Oral Submission to Department of Justice re Codification of the Liquor Licensing Laws

March 2004
Letter to An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern re Advertising legislation

Letter to Minister for Health Micheal Martin regarding the role of the WHO in alcohol issues

April 2004
Submission to the Joint Committee on Health and Children on Alcohol Misuse by young people

April 2004 – April 2005
Monthly meetings of the AAI committee took place during this period as well as meetings of the wider group from January 2005. June 2004 appointed part-time Policy and Communications Officer.

June 2004
Attendance by Chairperson and Policy and Communications Officer at Bridging the Gap Conference in Warsaw.

August 2004
Article in Irish Times on the issue of children in pubs. Interviews on Today FM (Last Word) LiveLine, Newstalk and other local radios

September 2004
EGM and change of name to Alcohol Action Ireland

Letter to Minister for Justice on the issue of children in pubs after 9pm.

Statement on the banning of Vodka in bag sachets

Statement on the publication of the 2^nd report of the Strategic Task Force on Alcohol followed by interview on RTE’s Six One news and participation in Questions and Answers programme

October 2004
Letters to Minister for Health, Mary Harney and opposition party leaders requesting meetings to discuss alcohol-related harm

Statement on alcohol and young people

Development of AAI website

December 2004
Attendance at Eurocare meeting, London. Updating of WHO Profiles and Summary as required by Eurocare and completion of Alcohol in Europe questionnaire.

Meetings with opposition party leaders Enda Kenny, (Fine Gael party leader) and Pat Rabbitte (Labour Party leader)

Letters to newspapers regarding the MEAS designated driver scheme

Interview on The Big Bite, RTE afternoon TV programme

January 2005
Submission on Suicide to the National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention.

February 2005
Statement on the need for an alcohol strategy

Letter to President Mc Aleese requesting that she become patron to AAI – have not as yet received a positive response but are renewing our efforts to persuade her.

March 2005
Joint Press Conference with others interested in tackling the alcohol problem to highlight the fact that the STFA has not been implemented and calling on the Government to set up a body to implement the recommendations of the body. Also some press coverage in national media.

Letter to Sunday Independent regarding prize of whiskey to letter prize winner

Press Statements before and after the press conference held in association with wider joint group to highlight lack of action on STFA report and call for meeting with Taoiseach

Article in Evening Herald about St Patrick’s day drunkenness

April 2005
Meeting with An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern in association with the wider alcohol group and press statement prior to the meeting as well as some subsequent local radio interviews.

Press Statement, letters to editors and letter to all TDs and Senators about the Intoxicating Liquor Bill. Also a large number of local radio interviews on this matter

Statement on Clan Survey on drinking among young people

Statement on Drink Driving following the Jim Mc Daid incident as well as interviews

Attendance at ELSA conference in Amsterdam and involvement in ELSA project

June 2005
Submission and letter to Minister for Justice on the proposed liquor licensing Bill – specifically objecting to the proposal to create an unlimited number of ‘café bars’ and introduce a licence for distance sales of alcohol. This submission was accompanied by press release and a number of interviews. We were also in contact with a government TD who was opposed to the measure and who was in direct contact with the Taoiseach on this matter, through our joint efforts the bill was eventually withdrawn. It is proposed that it may be put forward again without the proposal for café bars before the end of 2006.

August 2005
Submission to Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland on the review of their voluntary code

October 2005
Presentation to Oireachtas(Parliamentary) committee on Suicide prevention

Article in Irish Times objecting to the government’s decision to continue with a system of voluntary regulation and to introduce a further (fourth) code on advertising content and placement.

November 2005
Presentation to Government/Social partners committee on drink driving.

Ongoing discussions within social partnership committees on the topics of binge/risky drinking and underage drinking – expected to result in a report proposing a number of changes to alcohol policy.

Meeting with opposition party members on drink driving in advance of debate in parliament on the general topic of road safety. There have also been a number of radio interviews and newspaper articles on the topic of drink driving and following from the debate in parliament the Minister for Transport held a meeting with the opposition spokespersons in an effort to get all party support for a move towards the introduction of random breath testing.

Meeting with Junior Minister for Health (with responsibility for Alcohol policy)

Letter to all members of parliament on drink driving and the need for Random Breath Testing as promised by Government Ministers for a number of years.