Committee: The drinks industry should contribute to the cost of providing extra accident and emergency services for those suffering from the self-inflicted effects of too much alcohol, the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association told an Oireachtas committee yesterday.

In a presentation to the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht affairs, it also called for a complete ban on the sponsorship of sports events, clubs or teams by the alcohol industry, and said the courts should determine what proportion of the costs of the damage done by alcohol should be met by the drinks industry.

It said the promotion of alcoholic drink through advertising on domestic radio, television and at sports venues should also be excluded.

The Pioneer Association had previously recommended setting up a special Garda unit to monitor the abuse of alcohol and to prevent underage drinking.

However, representatives of both rural and urban pubs defended the role of alcohol in society, while also agreeing that it should not come under the remit of a national drugs strategy.

In its presentation, the Vintners Federation of Ireland claimed the tightly regulated industry had been responsible for the survival of many of the major sporting events in the country.

It was also "integral" to the tourist industry and employed many thousands of people here, the federation said.