Sponsorship by drinks companies of major sporting events such as Gaelic games was "sending out the wrong message" to a society attempting to curb alcohol abuse, the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, said yesterday.
He suggested that big sporting organisations, such as the GAA, should show leadership by looking elsewhere for sponsors.
Mr Martin revealed the GAA had been interested in discussing the issue of advertising with him - but he ruled out any possibility of the Department of Health sponsoring the All-Ireland hurling championship, which is currently sponsored by Guinness. The department previously helped sponsor the Irish Masters Snooker Tournament, which had been traditionally sponsored by the tobacco industry.
The GAA is locked into a 10-year sponsorship contract with Guinness. The contract, worth €25 million, expires in two years' time.
A spokesman for Guinness said it was the company's view that sponsorship of the hurling championship did not lead to abuse of alcohol. "We pursue it in a very responsible way and our intention is to continue with it," he said.
The GAA's spokeswoman said any comments the association had on the issue would be made directly to the Minister.
Mr Martin made his comments at the launch of new guidelines for the management of alcohol problems in general hospitals. They advise doctors admitting patients to take a detailed history of the patient's alcohol consumption over the previous month and follow it up with information on where they can get help for their addiction. They are also advised to refer the patient to psychiatric services and alcohol counsellors. Doctors have urged, however, that these services should be properly resourced before referrals are made, pointing out there was a danger they would be "swamped".
The guidelines were drawn up by Dr John Sheehan, a consultant psychiatrist at Dublin's Mater Hospital, where a study last year showed that one in four attendances at the A&E unit was alcohol-related. It also indicated that 30 per cent of male and 8 per cent of female inpatients had alcohol problems, but that only 6 per cent of them were referred to alcohol treatment services.
Dr Sheehan also criticised alcohol sponsorship of sporting events. "We are seeing so much harm due to alcohol in society I don't think there should be that link with alcohol and sporting events," he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Garry Courtney, a consultant psychiatrist at St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, called for stricter laws in relation to the promotion and advertising by drinks companies. "Some recent activities are reckless and they will have serious detrimental long-term consequences," he said.
He added that 15 per cent of admissions at St Luke's were alcohol-related and they cost the hospital €5 million a year, the equivalent cost of a new A&E unit. They were also responsible for thousands of wasted bed days, he said.
Alcohol consumption per capita in Ireland increased by 49 per cent between 1989 and 2001. A Department of Health committee is drawing up proposals aimed at curbing alcohol advertising.
A Swedish court yesterday overturned a government-imposed ban on alcohol advertising. The Swedish Market Court upheld a 2001 ruling by the European Court of Justice that the 1978 Swedish ban violated European regulations on free circulation of goods and services.
The Swedish Health and Social Services Minister, Mr Morgan Johansson, said the government would present a new legal framework on alcohol advertising to parliament in the autumn.