just another ill-advised band aid on a deeper cultural problem.

If cheap supermarket alcohol resulted in binge drinking, the whole of France would be little more than a cesspool of passed out bodies and vomit..

If people were drinking milk until they puked, the answer wouldn’t be “milk is too cheap” it would be “people are too stupid”. Education is the key to fixing the problem, not over regulation.

you’d think we were all stupid!!!! a person who wants to drink, or those who are compelled to drink will do so no matter what…whats the problem with having a glass or 2 of wine, or a bottle of beer before bedtime when the kids are asleep, and the parents want to wind down…is that a bad thing now?

If the Government bring in this who gets the extra revenue? Say a can of lager goes from 50 cents up to €1.10 who gets the extra 60 cents? Is it the manufacturer, the shop or the Government?

Whoever gets it I can guarantee that this is nothing more than a tax by the back door.

I cannot see how the publicans and off license’s achieved this if a competitor is selling a product cheaper than you that’s though! It’s called a free market.

At what point do we the irish people say stop? This is an absolute revenue based move, they’ve stuck a health label on it to justify it and expect us to believe it. Does anyone expect someone with a drink problem to stop drinking because cans have gone up? What do they take us for? Do we have to wait another 3-4 years to vent our frustration and get rid of another greedy government?

Even al Capone new when to stop squeezing people for their hard earned money!

Revenue raising cynicism. Alcohol was never cheap in Ireland until the supermarkets entered into competition to retain customers. After generations of gouging the public, the vintners suddenly took fright and ran off to their servile pals in government requesting a baton be put through the spokes of competition. The supermarkets employ many more than the bars, and if this proposal goes through jobs will shed. No doubt the smoked salmon socialists have clever plans up their sleeves to replace these jobs. You can’t unwind a history of tolerance of excessive drinking overnight or by price manipulation. If price was at the root of excess, Italy should be crawling with drunks. Cheap loose wine costs about 90c per litre for something drinkable. Every supermarket sells bottles of pure alcohol at about 13 euro a litre. People buy it to make their own liqueurs at home (e.g. Limoncello). The government can’t campaign against an industry that generates so much revenue and one that provides so much material support for politicians. TDs, still running ‘clinics’ out of pubs? The vintners aren’t worried about excess drinking, alcoholism. They never were, the hypocrites. Their problem is that all this is going in away from premises and the loot is not in their tills.

As I’ve said to others…

Their latest planned move will now ONLY increase the transport of cheap drink across the border from Northern Ireland, to the South.
Revenue intake will be down!

Add to that their actions might be illegal price manipulation/price fixing as seen by the European court – so the Irish Fine Gael and Labour government will now be facing not one but TWO* European legal battles!

* (The other being the use of possible seen as “forced labour” for those unemployed if they as some suggested, the government decides to bring to full fruition the forcing of those on the dole, to do cheap or non-further paying work. The European Human Rights Act prohibits compulsory or forced labour – and a number of organisations have said they will fight their case in Europe.)

this gov is a joke ….this will cause job losses in off licences…supermarkets ….transport companies …it just gets worse ….shortall is a fucking idiot ….i just dont understanding their reasoning ….they just want to take and take ….they aint a gov for the people…..bunch of wankers

I’ve taken to brewing my own beer in recent months. After the initial investment in gear you can make 23L of beer for about €15/16, and it’s fun to do too! I’m making a pilsner next and then a darker ale, then I might try making some mead.

http://www.homebrewwest.ie/index.asp

Don’t forget the dail bar and it’s below cost pints

There has to be some competition laws against this because if this happen many of the cheaper beers wont be able to compete against the more higher end one’s.

This state is becoming too much of a nanny state. Telling us what we can and cant do. Might as well be in prison.

Low-cost alcohol? I’ve never seen low-cost alcohol in Ireland in my entire life. I’ve seen plenty of it in France, Spain and Germany though…

Good to see that the government is all in favour of competition in the market place….it too cheap tax it yeah…whats next oh better tax texting. people are turning up at their local a+e with sore fingers…fking joke everyday some idiot in some government dept is taking a suggestion out of the staff suggestion box and trying to create a new tax….ah well off to the border or better still ferry to france may as well spend my euro in france than spend here and have the government give it to some bondholder in paris or berlin at least i get something for my euro…

Yea the government do think we are stupid.. Sure it’s only to increase abit of revenue.. They don’t give a damn if we drink ourselves to death ..

I’ve been to places all over the world that the price of drink is far cheaper than here and they don’t have the drink problems we have.
Our young people have very little to do other than drink so once again the failed politician come up with a stupid idea to punish responsible drinkers because of the countries short comings reguarding drink.
Shorthall is trying to make a name for herself like the rest of the labour traitors in government.
The sooner labour go the way of the greens the better off we will all be (unless your a senior civil servant or union rep of course )

This is 100% down to lobbying by vintners association and vintners federation. They want people in the pubs and not drinking at home.

The government get nothing by putting prices up in shops, all profits go to the shops. This is yet another con by the government. How many TDs own pubs or have close family and friends who own pubs? I’d say quite a lot.

This is a classic sop to a vested interest, the vinctuallers. Insisting on minimum pricing will only serve to increase the profits of pubs and off licences by taking out the competition.

If the government were serious about reducing alcohol abuse they would increase the tax and duty based on alcohol strength. Secondly they would close down the bars in Leinster House and not permit the sale or consumption alcohol on any State or semi State premises. They would forbid alcohol at all State or State supported functions including official dinners and banquets and make it a disciplinary offence for all State or Semi – State employees to drink or to ave drink taken during the working day.

It will be bought cross border and the fuel smugglers can bring down booze before they fill up with diesel to bring back north
Job creation at it’s finest !!!

Free market?

I am sick to the back teeth of this government and their distorted perception of just about everything.
An increase in the price of alcohol ??!!
This is your petty excuse of increasing your revenue intake.
Let me point you to a country not too far from here Roisin Shortall. FINLAND.
They have astronomic alcohol prices…has it made any difference in their excessive drinking habits? NO
Just let us re-educate you by summarising:

Let me delineate the effects of alcohol:
1 Increase in traffic related deaths
2 Increase in suicides related to depression
3 Increase in violence within families and friendship circles
4 A high risk of permanent addiction
5 Severe unsocial behaviour

My comment:

This government has bent over backwards to ensure that the public gets the message that smoking seriously impacts on your health. They went to the extent of concealing cigarette vending machines in shops. ( by law ) and charging the highest cigarette prices in the EU.
But…Alcohol advertisements are still everyday routine on the radio and TV.

Pubs in this country are banjaxed after years of overcharging by publicans in the good times but also because of changes in drinking habits due to government measures such as the smoking ban, stricter drink driving laws and there is the downturn in the economy itself.

Revenue from pubs is well down and the government are now following the money. They are trying to package this measure as being in the interests of public health when in reality it’s all about safeguarding government revenue.

Yet another stupid suggestion by a muppet in power. You imagine that after the last government this one would have a bit of cop-on. When in the history of hte state has increasing the cost of thing solved a problem? The VFI look to be getting there way. This will decrease local supermarket profits on aclohol. So whatever Union or federation represents them will be complaining that the cost of Lidl/Adli own brand products should be subject to a minimum price also. If this comes in and is challenged in EU court I suspect it might be passed as it will mean more money for the powers that be in the EU/IMF (money rules the world)

This is bloody ridiculous. Seriously.

Won’t work. Come on, we are all intelligent people*. How can this be considered after been proven not to work? Examples: drugs, tobacco.

*Assumption

What? Sober up the downtrodden? Now I’d like to see the consequences of that!

Dutch Gold and Galahad shares must be plummeting

I dont buy this. It’s plain & simple all about profit for the government.

Nanny state gone mad. Damn human farm

Gather up the pots and the old tin cans
The mash, the corn, the barley and the bran.
Run like the devil from the excise man
Keep the smoke from rising, Barney :-)

10pm Off License closing times, 12am/2am pub/club closing times and now this. Ireland has become such a nanny state. The idea that this is going to “help” is ridiculous and unproven.

This is a joke, the problem isn’t cheap alcohol, call it what they want, it’s not trying to tackle health problems, if they were trying to do that they’d be banning cigarettes and alcohol, not putting the price up…It’s a sneaky way to bring in money…Ridiculous, you can find far cheaper booze across the water and in many other countries, and this doesn’t happen, people need an attitude change and to be educated in the right way, be stricter in enforcing ID checks in off licenses and night clubs, pubs etc.. Also, part of this rant, the 10pm cut off for off licences is ridiculous, what is that accomplishing?

This is punishing the majority to curb a minorities drinking problem. If there is a problem then put more Gardai on the street and dont look for a quick buck off one of the few ways people can enjoys themselves anymore in this country.

Usual political bull. We’re doing something disguised – is a tax grab. Anyone wants booze – including kids – they’ll get it. Offski to the North for cheap boozefolks.

I’m just going northbound to by a massive amount of drink to last me a good while instead of Paying extortionate prices here!

Over Christmas, bottles of quality alcohol were selling very cheap (e.g. a bottle of Black Bush for €20). As it stands, the proposed law would have no impact on the ability of supermarkets to run promotions like this again.

ok well first i suppose i’d ask if this is a real problem (ie people being drunk from cheap booze) – and with my halo firmly fixed i’d say yes its probably more of a problem than we’d like it to be as a society.

now – if i had the wits of an average TD – i guess the next step is to ban drink entirely! we should actually be grateful that the americans already proved this to be nonsense or i guarantee that they’d be talking about it!

in the absence of that – let just charge double for it – so a labour politician is going to stop poor people getting drunk (and i think its fair to say that this problem is more weighted towards lower income etc?) – all thats left is the lotto now! get rich and buy yourself a beer! it’ll be their next advertising campaign!

legalize weed, problem sorted

If the price of bav goes up inda will be getting a slap in the chops I’ll tell you that much

Looking at the unit pricing the minimum prices would be: €1.10 for a can of beer, €15.40 for a bottle of vodka, €3.60-€4.40 for a bottle of wine. So wine drinkers will be unaffected by the changes. Though 18-25 year olds would be most affected by the beer and spirit pricing.

Just smoke weed instead

Kathryn D’Arcy of the Alcohol Beverage Federation said she feared Roisin Shortall, junior health minister, was wasting her time with this legislation which could be overturned by European competition law.
D’Arcy instead recommended the reintroduction of the below cost selling ban.
This ban was lifted in 2006 to bring down food prices, but supermarkets used it to cut alcohol prices instead and use them as a loss leader to drive footfall.
If the sale of alcohol restrictions are intended to address social problems of over consumption. This could be better controlled by restrictions on how social welfare payments can be spent.

How dare Roisin Shorthall decide what i drink or how much i drink are we in a democracy or a communist state

They think we are all stupid because we have proved ourselves to be stupid, bending over and taking it up the ass all the time… Most apathetic nation on earth..

Jebus h! I will home brew if this goes through. Rarely go to pub now cause they’ve been riding us for years with extortionate prices and shit service (in general)…

Close Off Licences an hour eariler From 11pm to 10pm – Stop underage drinkers.
Put up the price of fags it will soon be 10euro for a pack – stop people from smoking..
put up the prices of cheap drink – stop underage drinkers.

This leads to my question, if say both these were banned, the goverment would not make so much profit from taxes on the sale of fags and drink, so this crap about stopping underage drinkers or smokers is total bullshit!!!

Have a read of the following – it is from the time of the previous government but I think its gives an indication as to where some TD’s loyalties lie in relation to this matter!

http://www.soldiersofdestiny.org/tddrinklobbyscandal.htm

I’ll drink to that !!

pricing changes may not be the solution but the problem is manifestly there: cork, for example, is a very dangerous place thanks to heavy drinking. some of the violence has to be seen to be believed

what might be needed is a more comprehensive set of measures that include price changing (price rises may not be a disincentive but they are certainly no encouragement). the ‘drink sensibly’ tagline is (a cynical, drinks company) joke. but what to do?

Instead of slashing the education budget, maybe start educating people about the merits of responsible drinking. Price rises achieve nothing except added money for the exchequer. But that’s the idea.

Unless the government are planning on breaking EU law, they cannot introduce this legislation as it will be contrary to directive 95/59.

So it’s basically a monopoly formed with a choice of Diageo drinks and the government taking a cut of profits.For the good of my health any chance of a maximum price also?

My little baby was taken ill last new years eve and endin in a and e in Wexford hospital and spent a week there, after seein all the drink related people in there that night and every night I spent there I’d ban the stuff and I hardly drink anymore after that week ..

The vested interests have won the day again via their political puppets…

I agree with the Minister. 1. Alcohol is far to cheap in Supermarkets. Because of this pub numbers are dropping. Our pubs are one of our selling points to tourists. 2.Ireland is often known for being a boozy nation. Is this an image that Ireland wants. We have become binge drinkers. 3. The age of buying alcohol should be raised to 21.