Under section 19 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018, which will come into force from 10 January 2025, alcohol adverts can’t be shown on TV from 3am–9pm or broadcast on radio on a weekday from 3pm–10am.

The measure is aimed at reducing the exposure of children and young people to alcohol adverts.

Health minister Stephen Donnelly said: “The watershed periods for television and radio are designed to ensure that alcohol advertisements cannot be broadcast during times when children might be in the audience.

“The time periods were agreed in consultation with the then Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (now CnaM) during the development of the legislation.

“The evidence is consistent that advertising of alcohol products increases the likelihood that young people will start to drink alcohol or, if they are already drinking, to drink more.”

Hildegarde Naughton, the minister of state with responsibility for public health, wellbeing and the national drugs strategy, added: “Children and young people are being exposed to positive, risk-free images of alcohol and its use.

“Our objective is to protect children from this kind of marketing, and this broadcast watershed, along with the other advertising provisions in the Act, are designed to reduce that exposure.”