Introduction

Advertising in Ireland is regulated through both statutory codes and through industry self-regulatory codes. Broadcasting is regulated by the statutory body the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC). The BCC was founded in 1976 to receive and adjudicate on complaints about material broadcast, both programmes and advertisements.

The ASAI is the self-regulatory body for the advertising industry, it provides pre-vetting service to the industry and its Complaints Committee adjudicates on complaints made about individual advertisements. The MEAS Code of Practice, published by the social aspects organisation of the Irish drinks industry, concentrates on the naming, packaging and promotion of alcoholic drinks.

Central Copy Clearance Ireland Ltd was established in February 2003 as an independent organisation to provide a pre-vetting service for all advertising of alcoholic drinks in Ireland. CCCI ensures that no media outlet in Ireland will accept any advertising for any alcoholic drinks brand unless it carries a copy clearance number from CCCI. CCCI is funded by members of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) - which represents brewers, distillers, distributors and retailers of alcoholic products. The day-to-day running of the organisation is the joint responsibility of the Institute of Advertising Practitioners
in Ireland (IAPI) - which represents the advertising agencies - and the Association of Advertisers in Ireland (AAI) - which represents major advertisers.

In January 2006 a new Monitoring Body was established by the Minister
for Health and Children. The body will oversee the implementation of and adherence to the Voluntary Codes of Practice agreed between the Department of Health and Children and representatives of the advertising, drinks and media communications industries. The Alcohol Advertising Monitoring Body will be made up of representatives from four key groups; the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health and Children; the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland; the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland and the Advertising Standards Authority.
The new Monitoring Body will have access to and will review data from the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland, Central Copy Clearance Ireland, AC Nielson, Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR), Irish Film Censor Reports (cinema). In addition, the Body can commission independent research across all media to assess adherence to the Code. This research will be funded by the Department of Health and Children.

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The text is derived from the ELSA project which is completed in 2007, but will be updated soon.