Discussion of alcohol sponsorship in sport is welcome – Byrne

Fine Gael Dublin South Central TD, Catherine Byrne, has today (Wednesday) welcomed the discussion of alcohol sponsorship in sport at today’s meeting of the Cross Party Oireachtas Group on Alcohol Misuse.  

“The Cross Party Oireachtas Group on Alcohol Misuse, of which I am a member, is exploring the subject of alcohol sponsorship in sport. I really welcome the holding of this discussion today, facilitated by Alcohol Action Ireland. The alcohol industry has been very vocal on this matter but it is also important that we give an airing to the many problems associated with alcohol sponsorship of major sporting events.

“A working group in the Department of the Taoiseach is currently examining this issue as part of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill and they are due to report later this year. As part of this work they are examining the health consequences for children and young people of sponsorship by alcohol companies of major sporting events. I strongly believe that we should choose the sponsors of sporting events very carefully and that in doing so, we should associate sport with health in the minds of young people. It makes no sense to me that we would associate a healthy activity with alcohol, tobacco or indeed fast food for that matter.

“Some people have expressed concerns about the potential threat to funding of sports organisations as a result of any move to ban alcohol sponsorship of sporting events. I am of the opinion that there will be no end of appropriate companies lining up to purchase sponsorship packages for major sporting events should we remove alcohol companies from the equation. People will always attend matches and watch sport on tv in huge numbers. We will have no trouble finding potential sponsors who want to advertise to these valuable markets.

“It is high time we took alcohol away from sport and associated sport with health in the minds of our young people.”