In Ireland, one in six children are victims of the consequences of alcohol consumed by their parents

A third of children have a parent who consumes alcohol excessively and regularly or is dependent on it, while one in four grew up in an environment where alcohol abuse was present, according to a report published by Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI). According to figures from this organisation, more than 1.5 million people in Ireland are, or have been, affected by alcohol-related harm in the home.

The report, titled Childhood Interrupted, calls for greater recognition of the problem and more help for those affected. AAI chief executive Sheila Gilheany says the report, which collected data in Ireland and internationally, "paints a bleak picture of the hidden harms linked to alcohol".

Speaking on RTÉ's "Morning Ireland", she spoke of a "culture of silence" within the affected families, "which extends to society at large". She points out that despite the pervasive marketing of alcohol and its cultural acceptance, there is a "huge uncertainty, a great fear" in the homes of many children across the country.

“It ranges from the uncertainty of having someone to wake you up in the morning, make breakfast and get you to school on time, to the anxiety of whether or not the person will come to watch the soccer game they promised to attend.”

Sheila Gilheany points out that in addition to this type of neglect, the problem also manifests itself in the form of violence. This may involve direct physical violence against the child, or the fact that the child may witness domestic violence suffered by another adult under the same roof.

“We remind you that alcohol is not the main cause of domestic violence, but it is often an accelerator,” she emphasizes. She believes that this issue must “above all and as a priority” be “addressed openly”: “We should place the protection of children at the heart of public health policies on alcohol.” “It is up to the government to examine the raw reality of the facts, to assess the real cost of alcohol-related harm for Ireland,” continues the director of the AAI, an economic impact which she estimates at “around 15 billion euros each year”.