Rónán Mullen (Independent)

Ba mhaith liom cur leis an méid a dúirt an tSeanadóir Labhrás Ó Murchú. Ní minic é ag caint gan rud ciallmhar a bheith le rá aige. Tá an ceart ar fad aige maidir le húsáid na Gaeilge san Oireachtas. Is maith an rud é go bhfuil reachtaíocht mhaith anois againn, ach, mar is eol dúinn, ní leor reachtaíocht mar is ceist chultúir atá ann. Tá sé an-tábhachtach má tá Teachtaí agus Seanadóirí chun bheith ag labairt trí Ghaeilge go dtabharfaidh na meáin cumairsáide aitheantas cuí do sin. Tá sé tábhachtach freisin go bféachann muid chuige go bhfuil gach rud ina gceart. Thug mé faoi deara, mar shampla, agus mé ag breathnú ar na Buan Ordaithe go bhfuil gach rud i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla go dtí go dtagann muid chuig an clár. Tá an clár ann i mBéarla amháin.

Despite the best intentions, we have a bilingual Standing Orders, but when it comes to the index, it is only in English. That is just a small thing, but it illustrates how difficult it is for us to find concistency in matters of the use of the Irish language. It is important to re-emphasise what Senator Ó Murchú said, that we should have appropriate respect from the media towards contributions that are made trí Ghaeilge in the House. Perhaps in that way more people would be encouraged to use it.

Maidir le ceist an alcólachais, tá áthas orm go bhfuil an cheist seo ardaithe ag an Seanadóir Cecilia Keaveney agus daoine eile. The Taoiseach informed us there may be legislation to ban the sale of alcohol in supermarkets and garage forecourts. I welcome that. We need to have a debate on this and specifically on alcoholism. I was talking to a local politician in Galway recently who said that at a recent event he attended many people, in particular young people, were putting trolley loads of drink into themselves. This behaviour will store up huge problems for the future in terms of public health. Many people are invisibly developing a high dependency on alcohol.

While I welcome what the Taoiseach said about banning the sale of alcohol in supermarkets and garage forecourts, I have noticed in filling stations I have stopped at on my way from Galway to Dublin that there are literally shrines to alcohol behind the counters. This must stop. It is one thing to target the demand. Dr. Joe Barry said the Taoiseach stated in 2003 that the Government would legislate to control the marketing of alcohol, but nothing has happened yet. The devil is in the detail. We must tackle the more thorny question of demand. How will we educate the public about the dangers of alcoholism and of high dependency on alcohol in society? We will rue the day.