And quite a few people I've spoken to have no desire to go back to the pub after the past few years - rather have a few drinks at home and save a fortune, the habit of going out for a few beers in the local has gone
The lack of actions or protests trying to reverse MUP isn't even a half credible argument in favour of it.
None of that happens though when you intoduce prohibition type laws like this and doff your cap to vintners who seem have to be the arbiters of proper consumption despite being the source of the majority of violent incidents and late night issues.
The mature conversation is to normalise consumption. Open up licensing to cafes and to breweries so that a person can have half a beer or glass of wine with lunch. Or that closing hours aren't limited to X o clock where people dump out on to the street together.
The zealots are what I like to commonly refer to as muppets, they have the unhealthy relationship with a substance which has been around 7000 BCE. These types seem to believe that increasing control and prohibition is the way to go. When we have various examples of the opposite. The US prohibition era and the war on drugs. That's not healthy that's absolutely baseless non scientific action with a strong pungent smell of Catholic guilt wafting off of it. Iona your heart out.
If we want to increase alcohol awareness and treat it in the manner it should be treated then we do the opposite of MUP.
Already looked. The 8.99 wines are still 8.99, the 9.99 are still 9.99, the €25 whiskey is still €25. Even the €14 8 can Guinness pack is still €14 and the single can Guinness is still 1.99
Some prices have changed by a few cents compared to their Oct prices.
Or maybe you are doing what some people are doing and comparing prices to the Christmas offers which are now finished and would have changed with or without mup, just as they did last year
Never said it was and its a bizarre leap to try say it is
My point was, for all the belly-aching going on in this thread, the fact that there is barely a peep among the populace indicates that its really not a big deal
What happened to the €5 to €6 wines?
What happened to the own brand spirits?
What happened to the beers in Lidl and Aldi?
What happened to the case of 24 Guinness?
Don't bother answering, we all know they went up due to MUP.
So why did you bring up the lack of actions and protests?
There is no belly aching just people who resent the fraud that MUP is and want to talk about it.
Have a listen to Liveline today and you will hear a few home truths from ordinary people.
Because some people stated that "the country is up in arms", its not and that "there will be hell to pay", there won't
No offense Tod but none of this bar the 'what time did it finish' sounds like anything relatable.
Perhaps instead of telling us what we need to do in relation to alcohol you should take a good hard look at the people you're socialising with.
And frankly if you're drinking till your'on your ear' you need to be looking at yourself before preaching to the rest of us.
It's almost as if the level of MUP was chosen so it wouldn't affect the major brands and would only affect the generic alternatives that provided competition to them.
The stated aim was to reduce consumption, but nothing has changed for those who drink in pubs or buy brand name products.
Here's the Guinness Index if anyone wants to see how the publican's have priced a pint at around 1/150th of an average industrial weeks wage since 1973.
Make some noise to your local TD, I know I will be.
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/
Mate if the government introduced a 80% flat income tax on everyone's income in this little country I'd say people would just grumble clinch their teeth and take it.
Was in aldi this evening. Lots of complaining and shock in the drinks section.
Its doubled in price I heard one woman moaning to another.
People on phone explaining prices to others.
Kinda funny really.
Loads didnt know it was in the pipeline at all.
Not Relatable ?
Have a read of this thread, it's very short. And not uncommon.
And when I say I'm out on my ear after 4 pints, that does not mean I always have 4 pints, I usually don't go beyond 2.
People are annoyed and upset at being led by the nose by all political parties in the introduction of MUP.
They may not be out in the street with torches and rifles but trust in politicians such as it was has been damaged.
There may yet be "hell to pay".
Doubtful
When I said not relatable I meant to myself. The circles I move in. I don't doubt you that there are people with this kind of behaviour. In my experience they're a minority.
To return to the point of the thread I see no reason why we all should be saddled with MUP. Personal responsibility is a great thing. Just as yourself. You know your limit and you stick to it.
Its another tax, plain and simple, anyone that can't see that deserve the politician's we have.
Why now introduce a minimum price on takeaways and the likes of McDonald's if the the are so concerned about people's health,
Have the closed the dail bar out of interest, not likely.
Why is there a undercurrent in this country that literally wants to see us having the most expensive everything that can be sold.
Were rode up a stick via stealth taxes and get SFA back in return for it.
We now have MUP on top of one of the highest rates of alcohol taxes in Europe
Cigarettes the same - so much that the black market is thriving
We have exorbitant excise duties on road fuels and we're adding carbon taxes to bate Banagher every year here too.
Our primary public services are in tatters. So, where the fook is all this dosh going? Someone is pocketing big time and giving back bollox all in return.
We need a reform of everything in this country. A government should be only raising taxes to fund the minimum amount of services, but those fewer services need to be world class. We currently have our public purse pie cut into too many small slices with too many snouts looking for a piece.
Don't take my word for it.
This is a quote from a letter to the Irish Times today -
"If the breeding ground of policymaking continues like this, where a concoction of quangos, interest groups and civil servants magic up new ways of making life more difficult and expensive for ordinary people, this Coalition faces annihilation at the ballot box."
The author?
Art O'Mahony President of Young Fine Gael
link to all today's letters - https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/the-price-of-alcohol-1.4770423
The MUP is not going to the central exchequer. There will be an increase in the amount of VAT collected per purchase, sure, but as the volumes purchased will be lower it will cancel out.
It doesn't really matter where it's going, it's coming out of the pockets of already hard pressed consumers.
Easily avoided though
Your arguments are getting more and more threadbare.
Enforced abstinence should not be considered as an option in any democracy.
Try addressing the facts.
What facts?
Groundhog Day
Ah come on, you think people will believe that utter bullsh1t that there were auld ones ringing around moaning on their phones, others explaining to people and more general moaning.
Aldi drink sections are tiny. Seems in your Aldi that they were squeezed in like effin sardines.
Stop the bullsh1t
You are forgetting that we have the highest unemployment benefits in Europe, one of the highest children's allowance in Europe, one of the highest statutory pension payments in Europe and we also have one of the lowest tax rates for those earning under €35,000 a year in Europe.
News for you.
While children's allowance is a universal payment anyone who finds themselves unemployed and has to meet their bills from the JSA needs every penny of it.
Under 35k a year is low pay in this economy.
Furthermore the basic state pension is not the gateway to shangri la.
Yea all made up. Completely. Haha now I know what I'm dealing with on this thread. Jesus. It could never happen. 2 of front of me and 2 behind me so cramped. Maybe we should make the drink section smaller so this wont happen. 😄
I never said it was not deserved or too much.
I think we have a very good social welfare system and it could be better.
But it was in response to a poster saying that it's take take take. I just was showing that the in money does get spent in vital areas.
We don't want to go the British route where people can't afford tampons because the social welfare payment is so low and it puts them into a spiral of debt that is near impossible to get out of.
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