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WHAT DO YOU think of the effectiveness of the voluntary code for the sale and display of alcohol products?
Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Mr Alan Shatter TD, has launched a review of the voluntary code and is asking people to submit their views on the subject.
To help with this, he has published the Responsible Retailing of Alcohol in Ireland (RRAI)’s Compliance Report for 2011 on his department’s website.
The report shows the compliance levels of different traders in adhering to the voluntary code, and shows that 95 per cent of supermarkets complied.
Of these, Aldi and Lidl scored 100 per cent compliance, while Tesco achieved 96.5 per cent and Dunnes Stores 92 per cent.
Petrol station Esso achieved 100 per cent compliance and Topaz outlets achieved 93 per cent compliance.
Centra scored 85 per cent; Londis 83 per cent and Spar 82 per cent.
In its 2008 report, the Government Alcohol Advisory Group (GAAG) recommended the structural separation of alcohol products from other retail items in mixed trading premises such as supermarkets, convenience stores and garage forecourts.
The voluntary code was introduced in 2008 as an alternative to the statutory rules for structural separation of alcohol products in mixed trading outlets which are set out in section 9 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008.
A separate body – Responsible Retailing of Alcohol in Ireland (RRAI) – has been established and funded by the mixed trading sector to oversee implementation of the Code.
Prior to any decision on whether to bring the structural separation provisions in section 9 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008 into operation, the Minister is seeking people’s opinions.
The Minister said:
Following three years’ experience of the voluntary code, the time has come for a comprehensive review of whether the voluntary approach to structural separation is proving effective in practice. While progress has been made in separating alcohol products from other food and drink products in many outlets, the reality is that the large quantities of alcohol on display in some supermarkets and convenience stores, and the prominence given to alcohol products, remains a concern.
If you would like to give your opinion, you can send your submission by post to Civil Law Reform Division, Department of Justice and Equality, Bishop’s Square, Redmond’s H ill, Dublin 2, or by email to mixedtradingcode@justice.ie.
The final date for submission is 20 December 2011.
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It’s a voluntary code!! Why would you be wasting Garda time on something they don’t enforce
I am in the off licence business in Tralee and it’s a complete joke here as regards where compliance is concerned.
None of the local supermarkets are seen to rail off , or close off areas where alcohol is sold, out of sales hours and “Specials” are regularly placed outside of the normal alcohol sale areas in the most prominent locations.
The local Garda are just too busy with short staffing levels to effectively police this important piece of the law, so that the Managements of our local Supermarkets know well that they are at zero risk of even being prosecuted or convicted for that matter.
And they’re taking your trade!
Railing off sections of the supermarket should make very little difference, as the product may not be sold outside the restricted hours. The railings do little but annoy people by reminding them they are being treated like children.
Specials, wherever placed, promote larger-scale purchase of alcohol, particularly beer. The worst offenders I see in Dublin are some off-licences, who festoon their premises with gaudy adverts for cheap beer, especially in the run up to any sporting event (as if there was no way to watch sports except drunk).
As for Garda staffing levels, I believe these stupid time restrictions for the purchase of alcohol were introduced as a knee-jerk reaction to rising off-sales, and serve only to placate pub owners, and that there was no forethought as to the possibility of implementing these measures.
I see that Lidl got 100% compliance, yet in September ‘ll they were in hot water for their two bottles of wine for a fiver promotion. When was the compliance testing carried out?
I agree a hundred % – there is no nationwide constant patrolling .
Yet we are heavily fined in The Off Licence trade should we inadvertently serve a Minor with a fake ID.
The fine is normally accompanied by a closure order for several days too.
Whenever have we heard of similar Justice being taken against Supermarket Branch or Group?
Incidentally we are well able to compete in the business and we NEVER resort to selling UNDER COST!
Ask our ever faithful Customers who have stood by us while 33 years in business in Tralee!
just let em sell what they want, and let people try to take responsibilty for themselves, god dam nanny state
Here we go again…
Implement a system like the swedish systembolaget where the govt distributes alcohol.
I think the “take responsiblity for ourselves” experiment in Ireland has been proven to be a disastrous failure. Binge drinking is so embedded in our culture at this stage that you can see the consequences of it everywhere, and vast sections of the population dedicate their weekends to getting absolutely paralytic, which is just depressing and sad.
Sweden has addressed the alcohol problem in a very intelligent way by distributing it through a not-for-profit state monopoly that has better selections of alcoholic drinks than most supermarkets. Unfortunately, because vintners form such a powerful lobbying force in Ireland, I wouldn’t hold my hopes up for such forward-thinking to be implemented here.
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