Government to set min price on gargle

seiphil

JW Sweetmans, which used to be known as Messer Maguires brew their own craft beer and sell it at 4 euro a pint. Choice between 5 different beers.

Lovely stuff too.

suicide_circus

Banjo String wrote: »

€14.30 for two pints of beer. (Not even craft beer either)

Maybe the govt and the VFI have their priorities wrong.

Introduce a MAXIMUM that they can sell drink at. They really shouldn't be wondering as to why their pub trade is doing out with rip off prices like this.

why were you in that tourist trap and why were you drinking coors light?

Xenji

Have they stated yet what the minimum price might be and will this be affecting just off licenses or bars as well with a different price.

Banjo String

suicide_circus wrote: »

why were you in that tourist trap and why were you drinking coors light?

Post #241

Zubeneschamali

Banjo String wrote: »

We have the vfi complaining a decline in their trade and blaming it on off licence sales.

If nobody goes into overpriced tourist traps, they will close. No need to get the state involved setting maximum prices.

Banjo String

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

If nobody goes into overpriced tourist traps, they will close. No need to get the state involved setting maximum prices.

But setting minimum pricing is fair game

Bit hypocritical no?

rubadub

Gummy Panda wrote: »

"No cover charge"

They are charging it every pint.

That's simply what they are at, the time was 00.40.

I think the porterhouse go up 50cent after some time, some bottles were 6.40

CruelCoin

syklops wrote: »

Stupid short sighted move IMO. This will effectively make alcohol more expensive which translates to families on low incomes having less money for food.

How?

That sounds like alcohol is taking the priority over food.

"Screw feeding the kids honey, have to get the auld naggins first".

This is dubious logic at best.

CruelCoin

seiphil wrote: »

JW Sweetmans, which used to be known as Messer Maguires brew their own craft beer and sell it at 4 euro a pint. Choice between 5 different beers.

Lovely stuff too.

Yup.

Good stuff alright.

Most people don't drink for taste however, and drink only for the effect. Which is fine by me. Means fewer tracksuit wearers in my favorite spots.

p.s: l.mulligans grocers is great for beers.

HansHolzel

There are lot of "nanny state" type comments on this thread. It's the same kind of thoughtless whinging that traditionally took place over price hikes on cigarettes but now we are down to 22% of the population smoking. Less than a quarter of us are still at that foul habit.

This minimum price fixing of booze will be a splendid example of cross-border co-operation for the greater good, as it makes it more difficult to pig out on the sauce.

Banjo String

HansHolzel wrote: »

This minimum price fixing of booze will be a splendid example of cross-border co-operation for the greater good, as it makes it more difficult to pig out on the sauce.

No.

If this gets the go ahead, it will be in breach of E.U laws.

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/overview_en.html

syklops

CruelCoin wrote: »

How?

That sounds like alcohol is taking the priority over food.

If you are an alcoholic (e.g. addicted to alcohol), then alcohol does take priority over food. Alcohol takes priority over everything.

This is dubious logic at best.

Are you saying my logic is dubious or you mean the logic of the addict is dubious? Of course the logic of an addict is dubious. He/she is an addict.

rubadub

HansHolzel wrote: »

There are lot of "nanny state" type comments on this thread. It's the same kind of thoughtless whinging that traditionally took place over price hikes on cigarettes but now we are down to 22% of the population smoking. Less than a quarter of us are still at that foul habit.

The government gets the money from the hike in cigarettes. It will only get a small portion of this. If the retailers got the bulk of the cost of cigarettes you would see a lot more whinging.

rubadub wrote: »

Say tesco are selling €1 cans and breaking even, zero profit, I will avoid overheads etc, just try an keep it simple. Currently there is 23% VAT on this, so this is 81.3cent before tax. the government getting 18.7cent.

If the min cost is set to €2 then the government only gets 18.7cent more in tax, meanwhile tesco get an extra 81.3cent as profit, which you tell me will be exported.

CruelCoin wrote: »

How?

That sounds like alcohol is taking the priority over food.

"Screw feeding the kids honey, have to get the auld naggins first".

This is dubious logic at best.

I don't think its only effecting alcoholics. Many people will just view alcohol as another item on teh shopping list, and get their 6 cans or whatever regardless of price. I doubt they will go hungry over it, just buy cheaper food, which may or may not be healthier -same as if milk had a min price brought in.

HansHolzel

Banjo String wrote: »

No.

If this gets the go ahead, it will be in breach of E.U laws.

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/overview_en.html

That has yet to be decided by courts and it is unlikely they will favour 'free trade' over public health.

Under European law, countries are allowed to restrict imports on public health grounds but only if doing so does not constitute a "means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade between member states".

Dravokivich

HansHolzel wrote: »

There are lot of "nanny state" type comments on this thread. It's the same kind of thoughtless whinging that traditionally took place over price hikes on cigarettes but now we are down to 22% of the population smoking. Less than a quarter of us are still at that foul habit.

This minimum price fixing of booze will be a splendid example of cross-border co-operation for the greater good, as it makes it more difficult to pig out on the sauce.

This min price is intended to hit those who go through the trouble of budgeting their drinking and the shops/pubs who seem to be successfully managing their business and adapt to the markets requirements.

It's not nanny state nonsense at all. It's just dressed up to look like it is.

goose2005

HansHolzel wrote: »

That has yet to be decided by courts and it is unlikely they will favour 'free trade' over public health.

Under European law, countries are allowed to restrict imports on public health grounds but only if doing so does not constitute a "means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade between member states".

But where does "Public health" stop? Why not impose minimum prices on red meat, chocolate, sweets, sugary cereals, butter, cheese, etc. etc.?

goose2005

Dravokivich wrote: »

This min price is intended to hit those who go through the trouble of budgeting their drinking and the shops/pubs who seem to be successfully managing their business and adapt to the markets requirements.

It's not nanny state nonsense at all. It's just dressed up to look like it is.

It also hits brewers who have the temerity to make a decent product at a low cost. Sure that's not how you make money, what you're supposed to do is get your mates in government to give you grants and subsidies.

Dravokivich

goose2005 wrote: »

But where does "Public health" stop? Why not impose minimum prices on red meat, chocolate, sweets, sugary cereals, butter, cheese, etc. etc.?

Or as I jokingly mentioned earlier, setting max prices on healthy foods to encourage proper affordable diets.

goose2005 wrote: »

It also hits brewers who have the temerity to make a decent product at a low cost. Sure that's not how you make money, what you're supposed to do is get your mates in government to give you grants and subsidies.

And the logistics companies who move'em. It's got a lot of knock on affects. Taking the money from the punter is not the answer.

HansHolzel

Dravokivich wrote: »

This min price is intended to hit those who go through the trouble of budgeting their drinking

e.g. 24-can slabs for €20. Is that budget enough for you? Insane encouragement to pig out, in other words.

HansHolzel

goose2005 wrote: »

But where does "Public health" stop?

If you can't grasp that drink is an urgent public health issue in Ireland, then there's no point engaging with you any further.

yoyo

HansHolzel wrote: »

If you can't grasp that drink is an urgent public health issue in Ireland, then there's no point engaging with you any further.

And raising the price level will solve this how exactly? Why is it that countries with the highest cost of booze have the biggest problems with it? Does this not suggest the price isn't the real issue here but something else?
I have a few cans at the weekend to relax. I've never missed work due to being hungover, never ended up in A&E due to over indulgence.
I don't see why I should have to pay more because some cannot handle it.
Anyways I doubt this will ever become law, as it goes against EU Laws regarding price fixing,

Nick

HansHolzel

HansHolzel wrote: »

e.g. 24-can slabs for €20. Is that budget enough for you? Insane encouragement to pig out, in other words.

Where are these slabs retailing for that cheap?

coffee_cake

goose2005 wrote: »

But where does "Public health" stop? Why not impose minimum prices on red meat, chocolate, sweets, sugary cereals, butter, cheese, etc. etc.?

What
red meat and butter are awesome

jimgoose

bluewolf wrote: »

...lumps of rib-eye steak the size of a laptop and garlic butter are awesome

FYP.

emulligan

They government are only out for one thing!!!! Get money of us!!!!!!

Dravokivich

HansHolzel wrote: »

e.g. 24-can slabs for €20. Is that budget enough for you? Insane encouragement to pig out, in other words.

This hypothetical slab for 20 is a grand deal yes. And most would consume it either:

- over a number of weeks
- Amongst a group of people at a party

What's wrong with that, other then over the period I'm enjoying the slab I won't be paying out a ton to a pub?

If someone wants my business, they need to entice me for it. Make me think it's worth my while. At the end of the day that's all it is. Nothing more to it.

HansHolzel

yoyo wrote: »

Why is it that countries with the highest cost of booze have the biggest problems with it?

I don't see why I should have to pay more because some cannot handle it.

Anyways I doubt this will ever become law, as it goes against EU Laws regarding price fixing,

Nick

(1) Finland (another country of serious boozers) lowered the price in 2004 and look what happened. Your claim above looks like a pseudo-stat that you didn't even bother to flesh out in detail.

(2) It's ironic how many beer-price whingers sound like the Tea Party.

(3) I've already answered the legalistic argument. Public health comes before free trade in EU law.

jimgoose

HansHolzel wrote: »

e.g. 24-can slabs for €20. Is that budget enough for you? Insane encouragement to pig out, in other words.

A slab of Dagenite's Finest for a score and you're thinking Scarface meets the fall of the Babylonian Empire? Did you get here on the Mayflower??

HansHolzel

Home drinking is a plague in Ireland, as any doctor worth his/her salt can confirm.

At least in the pub they can tell you when you've had enough, although adding "Go home" to that is often problematic advice to some punters ;-)

hatrickpatrick

HansHolzel wrote: »

If you can't grasp that drink is an urgent public health issue in Ireland, then there's no point engaging with you any further.

If you can't grasp that some people don't believe in curtailing individual freedom in the name of "the greater good" then there's not much point in engaging with you either.
Have you never seen Hot Fuzz?!