Tánaiste Simon Harris has cast doubt over the planned introduction of mandatory alcohol warning labels by next May, due to the potential impact US tariffs could have on the drinks industry.
The warnings, messages placed on alcoholic beverage containers or packaging to inform about the potential health risks of drinking, are due to be introduced under the Public Health Alcohol Act in May 2026.
Asked about the timeline for implementation, Mr Harris said this was “something we do have to give consideration to” in light of the proposed tariffs on alcohol being imported from the European Union to the United States.
“We find ourselves in a very new trade environment and we always say we have to try and control what we can control. This is certainly something that merits at least considering in that space when we hear the concerns being expressed,” he told the Dáil on Thursday.
“I’m not in a position to say today what exact decision the Government will make but I can say the timeline around implementation is certainly under consideration.”
Mr Harris’s comments come weeks after Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said the introduction of warning labels on alcohol products would need to be “carefully examined again”.
Representative groups for the drinks industry have warned the introduction of US tariffs on alcohol from the EU could potentially be “devastating”.
Sheila Gilheany, chief executive of Alcohol Action Ireland, said the organisation was “absolutely shocked” by Mr Harris’s comments.
“Labelling of alcohol products is a health issue and has nothing to do with Ireland’s exports as the regulations only apply to products sold in Ireland. While in relation to imports, or home-produced products, the legal onus is on retailers, not producers/manufacturers, to ensure products are labelled,” she said.
“Therefore, a supermarket, or off-licence, can simply add a sticker to the product. Linking labelling to the ‘trading environment’ is an industry red herring and it should be called out as such by politicians.
She added: “It is deeply disappointing that Simon Harris, who as Minister for Health steered through the Public Health (Alcohol) Act in 2018, which gave rise to the regulations, now appears to have fallen for industry spin.”
In a recent interview with The Irish Times, Prof Mary Horgan, interim chief medical officer, said though she understood Government members were looking at the issue “from a different perspective”, she warned of the importance of labels.
“We’ve done a lot of work and research in the area; all I can talk about is the public health message about alcohol, and labelling is important to get that across.”
Under the law, once implemented, all bottles, cans and other containers must contain a back label stating: drinking alcohol causes liver disease; there is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers; a warning symbol for drinking when pregnant; and the website www.askaboutalcohol.ie.
The label should also state the quantity of grams of alcohol and the energy value expressed in kilojoules and kilocalories. The label must be at least 60mm wide and not less than 30mm high surrounded by a black border.
