Cheap off-license alcohol ‘should be doubled in price’

Run_to_da_hills

"THE cost of cheap alcohol in supermarkets and off-licences should be doubled in order to tackle anti-social behaviour, it has been claimed.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague, said there should be an agreed minimum price for alcohol.

He said cans of lager priced as low as 47 cent should be increased to €1."

I wish this short sighted git would FCUK OFF and leave us alone.:mad:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/double-cost-of-cutprice-booze-2833274.html

falabo

one word: NEWRY

biko

Seems to be a Dublin effort only.
If this turns out to be a nation-wide effort then please push back to After Hours.

falabo

rising the price of alcohol, cigarettes and Petrol is actually a very DANGEROUS thing to do ... very very dangerous ... this will only creat more gangs, roberies etc

Run_to_da_hills

biko wrote: »

Seems to be a Dublin effort only.
If this turns out to be a nation-wide effort then please push back to After Hours.

A Dublin effort to something that could well become nationwide including the 6 counties according to the Telegraph if it gets its way.

If this short sighted suggestion gains approval it will effect the whole country and put even more struggling pubs that depend on off sales out of business.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/mayor-urges-action-on-alcohol-price-16028718.html

Cookie_Monster

The Irish solution to Irish problems:

Punish everyone rather than making the effort to enforce the rules already in place and deal with the minority who won't abide by them.

Applies to so many aspects of life in Ireland and is seen as the ideal solution. No one in power has to do any work or bear any responsibility, man in the street gets screwed, people breaking the rules see no impact as they continue to break them anyway and the air of resentment that everyone has for everyone else grows that little bit larger.

also there are no cheap offo's in Dublin, merely ones that are slightly less expensive than the norm

What a stupid idea.
Is he in cahoots with the publicans as well?

Monty Burnz

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

If this short sighted suggestion gains approval it will effect the whole country and put even more struggling pubs that depend on off sales out of business.

It would be more than compensated by people having one in the pub instead of just getting stuff from the offie, I'd imagine.

mvt

The principle is right-alcohol is way too cheap and people who shouldn't have it anywhere near them are able to purchase it in ridiculous quantities
However,think that horse has well bolted the stable and don't know what the answer is..

Cookie_Monster

mvt wrote: »

The principle is right-alcohol is way too cheap and people who shouldn't have it anywhere near them are able to purchase it in ridiculous quantities

:pac::pac::pac::pac:
have you ever been to any other country?
Alcohol here is horrifically expensive and when you can buy it is heavily restricted.

Take Italy or the US, two countries I have visited this year for example. In both in the shops Jameson is half what it is here for a bottle (11 to 12). Beer is about 12 quid for 30 X 330ml bottles (well 15X 660, but for comparison), wine which costs 20 here is 7-8 and local wine in Italy is even cheaper, a gallon of table wine can be got for less than €6

The difference in prices and how much we are getting ripped off is sensational, all you have to do is go to Newry to see it, and even they are not particularly cheap.

Tazz T

Where on earth can you get cans of beer for 47c in Dublin? He hasn't a clue what he's talking about. I buy the cheapest can of eurobeer in Superquinn and it's €1.29. Does it work in reverse? Even putting it up to €1 sounds like a bargain.

mvt

I think the idea behind this is not the price of the alcohol rather the cost to society of people who shoudn't be drinking but because of its low cost are able to purchase it.
I believe there is a push in Scotland and Wales to also have a minimum price for alcohol.
Again,I have no idea how effective this would be but it might be better if we reflect on why these ideas are being considered and what is says about our culture.

yoyo

Tazz T wrote: »

Where on earth can you get cans of beer for 47c in Dublin? He hasn't a clue what he's talking about. I buy the cheapest can of eurobeer in Superquinn and it's €1.29. Does it work in reverse? Even putting it up to €1 sounds like a bargain.

I would love to know that too! Cheapest I can think of is Dunnes Lager at (well was) 79c a can, someone must be living in cloud cuckoo land thinking theres cheaper than that, and in most "convenience" offos the cheapest cans are around the euro mark

Nick

arybvtcw0eolkf

And this is all brought to you by the same f*cking genius who brought in the 30kms speed limit in Dublin City centre.

To put it nicely, the guy is away with the bloody fairies.

Larianne

I saw this dude on the news last night thinking is he having a laugh!

Monty Burnz

Tazz T wrote: »

Where on earth can you get cans of beer for 47c in Dublin? He hasn't a clue what he's talking about. I buy the cheapest can of eurobeer in Superquinn and it's €1.29. Does it work in reverse? Even putting it up to €1 sounds like a bargain.

Oh dear. You should move to continental Europe. In Belgium for a start, the most expensive, delicious artisanal beer made by actual freaking monks in an actual freaking monastery costs less per bottle.

Hotblack Desiato

mvt wrote: »

I think the idea behind this is not the price of the alcohol rather the cost to society of people who shoudn't be drinking but because of its low cost are able to purchase it.

There is a strong smell of 'poor people shouldn't be allowed enjoy themselves' off your post.

There are many people who shouldn't be drinking because they can't control themselves or have health problems, but for most of these people money isn't the issue. Actually, in some cases putting the price up will just impoverish their dependants quicker.

I'm 40 now, given the way this country is going with loudmouthed control freaks in positions of power telling everyone what to do 'for their own good' or to 'save the planet' :mad: , I fully expect that within my lifetime alcohol will be rationed if not banned outright.

Go down the offy - present your mandatory (for all ages) Garda ID Smartcard - "I'm sorry Mr. Ninja you've already exceeded your Healthy Alcohol Quota for this week."

stovelid

Maybe he has friends in the pub trade and they're leaning on him to hit the offies that are taking business away from pubs.

charlemont

bluewolf wrote: »

What a stupid idea.
Is he in cahoots with the publicans as well?

This is the publicans work...Its pathetic, I very rarely drink myself but I think if anything is cheap in this country the vested interests try to get the prices hiked up just to benefit themselves.

themandan6611

double the price i say, and do it quick - one thing though - -

double me bleeding wages you hairy cnts

mikemac

Pubs in the council area pay a lot in rates.
There are fewer supermarkets in the city centre and DCC area and people buying are cheap alcohol in them

This has nothing to do with anti social behaviour, just trying to restrict supermarkets and off licences so pubs get more business and DCC get more rate money

A Disgrace

He also went on to say, with a semi-grin, 'Don't worry, it won't affect the price of your pint'

In other words, 'my brother, the publican 'SHOULD NOT', and I repeat, SHOULD NOT be affected by this. Now, who fancies a pint, ON ME, at the Dail bar... don't fret, I have an endless tab'

Or something like that

*he really did say the thing about the pint btw...the rest is artistic licence

Now, first person who finds a can of beer (500ml) for 50c gets a prize from me - A 50c can of beer!

david75

It was Publicans and the vittners association who lobbied the(ir TD/Garda relatives in the) previous government to bring back earlier closing hours in clubs and make the off licence closing hours 10pm instead of 1130, citing the smoking ban as their motivation as their industry was being 'savaged' by the loss of footfall.

This is more of the same and fvck it. It's ridiculous we were intimidated into 'embracing the european idea' with the Lisbon treaty etc, yet i can go into a bar anywhere in europe at 4 or 5am and get a beer and for a quater of the price it is here.

but like everything else in this country, we'll roll over and take this up the ass, no lube thanks, we're irish, we like gettin fvcked raw.

charlemont

david75 wrote: »

It was Publicans and the vittners association who lobbied the(ir TD/Garda relatives in the) previous government to bring back earlier closing hours in clubs and make the off licence closing hours 10pm instead of 1130, citing the smoking ban as their motivation as their industry was being 'savaged' by the loss of footfall.

This is more of the same and fvck it. It's ridiculous we were intimidated into 'embracing the european idea' with the Lisbon treaty etc, yet i can go into a bar anywhere in europe at 4 or 5am and get a beer and for a quater of the price it is here.

but like everything else in this country, we'll roll over and take this up the ass, no lube thanks, we're irish, we like gettin fvcked raw.

Well said, We are a flippin' disgrace of a race..

sdanseo

I don't agree with cheap beer, I hate our drink culture. Only fair that I lay my cards on the table to start.

The idea of regulating a supposed free market economy with a "minimum price" for anything, though, is just plain stupid. Tax it more and at least make a few quid from it maybe, but you can't just tell businesses what price to sell their goods at.

The off licence laws/hours are a moneymaking racket for pubs and clubs and a poor misguided attempt by the previous government to be seen to be doing something about our frankly torrid obsession with getting drunk. All it's led to is arguments and "pre-drinking" - where people arguably drink more to get locked, and then spend the same amount in the pub or club anyway just to stay topped up.

There's a receession on, and what do they do? Increase the price of a taxi and hack the nitelink service down to the bare minimum, and then a bit less. Then effectively sack 2,000 Gardaí so there's less order on the streets that are basically rivers of piss and puke from 12-6am most weekends.

This country really has been, and still is being, run by robots with trained chimps at the controls. It's yet another chink in the farcical chain we call government. Corrupt to the core, almost every last fúcking one of them.

mvt

The idea behind setting a minimum price for alcohol is an attempt to stem,or restrict,the flow of alcohol to underage and those adversely affected by alcohol,alcoholics and those living on the margins of society.The motivation for this has come from public health officials in the UK and other countries.It has nothing to do with publicans or the price of a bottle of Jameson or a 20 euro bottle of wine.
The idea is possibly a misguided one but at least the sentiment behind it is good-concerned people,like Andrew Montegue,trying to help those whose lives are being destroyed by alcohol.Unlike the large supermarket chains and conglomerates who don't care about the effects of their policies.
I don't know what the answer is.Enforcement of the existing laws don't seem to work.Maybe some of the other posters could take a minute to understand the rationale behind the policy and then offer some constructive criticism?

xOxSinéadxOx

Alright.. something we haven't clarified yet, where can you get cans for 49c?

Cookie_Monster

mvt wrote: »

The idea behind setting a minimum price for alcohol is an attempt to stem,or restrict,the flow of alcohol to underage and those adversely affected by alcohol,alcoholics and those living on the margins of society.

I don't know what the answer is.Enforcement of the existing laws don't seem to work.Maybe some of the other posters could take a minute to understand the rationale behind the policy and then offer some constructive criticism?

but price is not the solution, all stick and no carrot and a catchall that punishes everyone.
Education and much much better and stricter enforcement of current laws is what's needed. Why should I have to pay through the roof for a few beers because a minority group of people are unable to control themselves when it comes to drink.

When it comes to underage drinking there is little enforcement and little consequence, the worst that happen is the Gardai will pour the drink out in front of you and drag you home, nothing else is done and the same story is repeated the next weekend. Put consequences against it, a couple of hours community service cleaning up the streets. Drunk in public (as an adult) is the same, told to go home, maybe locked up for a few hours to cool off, little more.

Combine that with better education of that whole subject, why we have such a culture, the drawbacks, how other countries effectively deal with it, the damage alcohol can do etc etc etc.
A cultural change to alcohol is needed in Ireland and price is not going to be the point that'll change it, nor is restricting supply.

Cookie_Monster

xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

Alright.. something we haven't clarified yet, where can you get cans for 49c?

what about those Lidl / Aldi beers, are they that cheap?
I know they're cheap and actually quite nice but not sure you'll get them at quite that price

A Disgrace

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

what about those Lidl / Aldi beers, are they that cheap?
I know they're cheap and actually quite nice but not sure you'll get them at quite that price

They all generally work out at about €2 per litre, so €1 a can. The only '47c' cans that may have existed were likely 330 ml or 440 ml ones, and probably only as some sort of one-off special.. Also, these cheaper cans tend to have a lower alcohol content.

There is a social problem with booze in this country, but a minimum price is not going to deter an alcholic

charlemont

mvt wrote: »

The idea behind setting a minimum price for alcohol is an attempt to stem,or restrict,the flow of alcohol to underage and those adversely affected by alcohol,alcoholics and those living on the margins of society.The motivation for this has come from public health officials in the UK and other countries.It has nothing to do with publicans or the price of a bottle of Jameson or a 20 euro bottle of wine.
The idea is possibly a misguided one but at least the sentiment behind it is good-concerned people,like Andrew Montegue,trying to help those whose lives are being destroyed by alcohol.Unlike the large supermarket chains and conglomerates who don't care about the effects of their policies.
I don't know what the answer is.Enforcement of the existing laws don't seem to work.Maybe some of the other posters could take a minute to understand the rationale behind the policy and then offer some constructive criticism?

:rolleyes:

Littlehorny

typical political stupidity and short sightedness. 1 person in a 1000 cant behave themselves and just enjoy a beer that didnt cost them a fortune so the 999 others get the shaft! A few cans of beer on a friday night when work is over is all i have left for ****s sake!

Maybe some of the other posters could take a minute to understand the rationale behind the policy and then offer some constructive criticism?

I understand it just fine. Publican work.
On a side note, insanity is often said to be doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Constantly putting up the prices of cigs and alcohol and expecting the drink culture to suddenly change overnight?
Either they're thick, working directly for the publicans, or both.
IF it is true that he made a comment about the price of a pint, well...

I would also like to state that I am almost entirely a non drinker and I hate the drinking culture.

A Disgrace

bluewolf wrote: »

IF it is true that he made a comment about the price of a pint, well...

He did

Sunnyisland

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

but price is not the solution, all stick and no carrot and a catchall that punishes everyone.
Education and much much better and stricter enforcement of current laws is what's needed. Why should I have to pay through the roof for a few beers because a minority group of people are unable to control themselves when it comes to drink.

When it comes to underage drinking there is little enforcement and little consequence, the worst that happen is the Gardai will pour the drink out in front of you and drag you home, nothing else is done and the same story is repeated the next weekend. Put consequences against it, a couple of hours community service cleaning up the streets. Drunk in public (as an adult) is the same, told to go home, maybe locked up for a few hours to cool off, little more.

Combine that with better education of that whole subject, why we have such a culture, the drawbacks, how other countries effectively deal with it, the damage alcohol can do etc etc etc.
A cultural change to alcohol is needed in Ireland and price is not going to be the point that'll change it, nor is restricting supply.

I was going to say that

Hotblack Desiato

mvt wrote: »

The idea behind setting a minimum price for alcohol is an attempt to stem,or restrict,the flow of alcohol to underage

Rubbish. It will have no effect on underage drinking, how can it when it targets all ages equally?

and those adversely affected by alcohol,alcoholics and those living on the margins of society.

That's amazingly ignorant. There are alcoholics and problem drinkers in all walks of life. Some are homeless, some are millionaires - but presumably it's OK for the well-off to continue to drink to excess as a price increase is irrelevant to them? This stinks of social engineering of the worst sort, 'we know what's good for the lower orders in society', 120 years ago you could say that with a straight face (and at least be honest as to one's motives) but now people like our esteemed Mayor have to sugar-coat their contempt for those less well off than themselves with concern for 'public health'

The motivation for this has come from public health officials in the UK and other countries.

The UK is still getting over a very nasty period of New Labour government best summed up as 'we know what's best for you', I would be very slow to take social cues from that sort of thinking.

The idea is possibly a misguided one but at least the sentiment behind it is good-concerned people,like Andrew Montegue,trying to help

People like him think that if only everyone was like them we'd all be fine. We're not, and don't all want to be, his attitude is typical of the more extreme green / socialist types who think they know what is best for everyone else and in some cases are prepared to go to any length to impose what they think is 'correct' behaviour on everyone else. As far as I am concerned he can shove it, along with his silly 30km/h limit.

Unlike the large supermarket chains and conglomerates who don't care about the effects of their policies.

If only we didn't have large businesses oppressing us, we could pay twice as much for everything to small businesses, but think of how much happier we'd be :rolleyes:
Unfortunately this is another typical soft-left attitude which sounds nice but doesn't stand up to any scrutiny.

I don't know what the answer is.Enforcement of the existing laws don't seem to work.

Enforcement of the existing laws has never really been tried. As others have said, the vast majority of people cause no hassle to others, it's the small minority who cause all the problems and yet it's everyone else who ends up being punished with high alcohol taxes, silly licensing laws, etc.

Maybe some of the other posters could take a minute to understand the rationale behind the policy and then offer some constructive criticism?

His rationale is obvious : social control and more power for himself, no doubt he'll be running in the next Dail election...

Phenomenally Phrank

**** him, he's a phony asshat. As if he or the rest of the ***** in leinster house give two ****s about people's health. It's just another way of getting money from the taxpayer so they can squander it into some black hole.Read between the lines of what he said. It's all about money, that's it.

Dyr

Alexandra Tall Bump wrote: »

And this is all brought to you by the same f*cking genius who brought in the 30kms speed limit in Dublin City centre.

To put it nicely, the guy is away with the bloody fairies.

Back when BRL were demolishing a tower in ballymun from 12pm to 7am every night, this guy showed up in the local paper, wearing his councilor hat, justifying keeping people awake all night. Oddly enough, he never mentioned that he was also on the board of directors of BRL. Class act alright. :rolleyes:

amacachi

bluewolf wrote: »

I understand it just fine. Publican work.
On a side note, insanity is often said to be doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Constantly putting up the prices of cigs and alcohol and expecting the drink culture to suddenly change overnight?
Either they're thick, working directly for the publicans, or both.
IF it is true that he made a comment about the price of a pint, well...

I would also like to state that I am almost entirely a non drinker and I hate the drinking culture.

Just since you mentioned smoking I'm almost sure that despite the price of fags going up by a good 60%+ since the start of the century in this country the number of smokers has actually risen. It's almost like the government don't care...

Keith186

http://www.labour.ie/andrewmontague/biography.html

Other Interests:

More affordable housing for Dubliners

You forgot to include 'More expensive booze for Dubliners'