Michael Healy-Rae last night blasted calls for safe drinking advice to be cut to one pint a week and said: 'Pull the other one.'
The Kerry TD and publican said it was “bloody ridiculous” after a doctor claimed current guides were excessive – and lowering them would slash heart disease, stroke and cancer.
Liver specialist Dr John Ryan urged health chiefs here to follow the lead of Canada where two standard-size drinks a week is deemed the safe limit.
READ MORE: Male pedestrian, in his 40s, hospitalised with 'serious' injuries following Dublin crash
He said: “It might just be a pint, or a large glass of wine so you’d get through that very, very quickly and it’s probably a good thing that we’re debating it and highlighting our relationship with alcohol individually and thinking to ourselves how best we might be able to cut down on our drink or in any kind of safer way.”
Dr John Ryan, a liver specialist at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, said health chiefs here need to follow the lead of Canadian authorities, who recommend just two standard drinks – or one pint – per week as a safe limit.
He said the evidence from research in Canada shows that “there is no safe limit for drinking alcohol”.
The new guidelines on safe drinking from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction concludes that any alcohol consumption is harmful.
The CCSA goes further than a two drinks limit and calls for people not to drink at all to avoid the health risks caused by alcohol.
Hepatologist consultant Dr Ryan said implementing similar guidelines here would cut down on our own cases of heart disease, stroke and cancer.
He said: “These guidelines reflect that there is no safe limit for drinking alcohol…. They seem very stark and severe, but that’s where they’re coming from.”
Speaking on RTE’s Today with Claire Byrne programme, he said: “Two standard drinks might just be a pint, or a large glass of wine, so you’d get through that very, very quickly and it’s probably a good thing that we’re debating it and highlighting our relationship with alcohol individually and thinking to ourselves how best we might be able to cut down on our drink or in any kind of safer way.”
However, Deputy Healy Rae, who runs the family pub in Kilgarvan, Co Kerry, blasted the call as “ridiculous”.
He told the Mirror about a friend of his that lived until 108 drinking a large whiskey every night.
Mr Healy Rae said: “Anyone that suggests that drinking more than one or two pints, or a couple of whiskeys, a week can be bad for your health needs to take themselves away and have themselves examined.
“I knew a good friend of mine that died just last year, in 2022, and he had a good big large glass of whiskey every night.
“And he told me that was better than any tablets in keeping him healthy.
“There’s moderation and moderation and moderation, but to honestly say that you can do serious harm with more than two units - drink is not in itself bad - in a week, that’s just plain bloody ridiculous.”
In a statement, the HSE said: “We’re aware of these new guidelines in Canada and will form an opinion once we’ve reviewed them.”
READ NEXT:
RTE canteen remains closed for third week after becoming plagued with rats and mice
Thousands of workers missing out on cash boost that could be worth over €2,000
Woman tells terrifying story of 'being tracked' during day trip to Dublin with tiny device
Irish paranormal hunters left 'astonished' after capturing 'ghost' on camera at 300-year-old castle
Heartbroken father says daughter made him pay for wedding before 'replacing me on the big day'
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
