The chairman of a new responsible drinking campaign funded by a drinks company says that if it is not independent it is not going to happen.
Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay said he was sceptical when he was approached by Diageo to work on its Stop Out-of-Control Drinking campaign.
However, he said that the group had a written memorandum of understanding from Diageo that it could act independently.
He said the campaign expected to spend about €1m in the first year on advertising, meetings and a digital campaign.
Mr Finlay said it hopes to achieve the same shift in attitude as the one that has happened in relation to drink driving.
The aim is to build a "people's campaign" to make out-of-control drinking an unacceptable part of Irish culture by 2021. The plan will be published this summer.
However, social campaigner Ruairi McKiernan said the campaign did not have credibility because of the involvement of the drinks industry.
Mr McKiernan, who is involved in a number of youth organisations, said it was the latest attempt by Diageo to make the public "feel warm and fuzzy about them".
He said he was surprised that Mr Finlay had become involved with the campaign.
He described it as very confusing and disappointing.
Source: rte, 12/02/15
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