LAST UPDATE | 18 Jul

Jane Matthews reporting from Addis Ababa

TÁNAISTE MICHEÁL MARTIN has defended a visit to a Diageo brewery this week in Kenya following criticism from Alcohol Action Ireland yesterday. 

The Minister for Foreign Affairs is on a four-day tour of the Horn of Africa. Yesterday, he visited a Guinness brewery, where he was given a tour of the facility and planted a tree on the grounds alongside Irish Ambassador to Kenya Catríona Ingoldsby. 

Alcohol Action Ireland condemned the Tánaiste’s visit in a post on X yesterday evening, claiming that “politicians allow themselves to be used” in the promotion of alcohol.

“More PR opportunities afforded to an industry which costs Ireland €12 bn annually. Easy to see why Diageo is thrilled with these occasions,” the post said.

“Alcohol is a drug that costs Ireland 2.5% of GDP – €12billion annually in health, social and lost workplace productivity costs every year, i.e misery, addiction and early death for many of our citizens,” Alcohol Action Ireland said in a blog post published earlier this month.

Diageo is a British multi-national alcoholic beverage company which owns the brand of Guinness, as well as Smirnoff and Bailey’s, among a wide variety of others.

The original Guinness brewery was founded in Dublin in 1759 and Guinness is widely associated with the nation across the world. 

Yesterday evening, Taoiseach Simon Harris and new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer celebrated a “reset” in relations with a pint of the famous stout.

More PR opportunities afforded to an industry which costs Ireland €12 bn annually. Easy to see why @Diageo_News is thrilled with these occasions, but why do our politicians allow themselves to be used? Questions for the media to ask.@thejournal_ie https://t.co/Y3BhvgWYGe

— AlcoholActionIreland (@AlcoholIreland) July 17, 2024

Speaking in Ethiopia this morning, Martin highlighted the economic benefits of the brewery, as well as the use of Irish technology showcased in the visit yesterday.

“Just to make a very basic point that alcohol is permitted in moderation,” he told reporters. “I’m a strong believer in public health as the former minister for health, but we do need balance and perspective here.”

He detailed the use of “very effective technology introduced by an Irish company” in the Diageo brewery, which reduces dependence on fossil fuels, and has resulted in savings and a better supply chain for farmers in Kenya. 

“It’s very positive from an economic perspective in terms of jobs for Kenyans in a long term, sustainable basis in terms of reduced emissions and affirming Irish technology that brought this to Africa,” he added. 

“That’s the context of my visit and I don’t make any apologies.” 

With reporting from Emma Hickey.