Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

carq · 28-04-2021 11:33am

Have written to my local TD on the issue.

If this is brought in I will be holidaying up north and filling the boot on the way home.

odyssey06 · 28-04-2021 11:39am

The Journal running a poll on this ... very poorly worded intro e.g. don't call out no more cans of beer for €1 type offers.

https://www.thejournal.ie/poll-drink-less-minimum-units-alcohol-5422075-Apr2021/

KrustyUCC · 28-04-2021 12:32pm

"Alcohol Action Ireland maintains that with the introduction of MUP, the cheapest available alcohol product in Ireland will still be cheaper than those products in Northern Ireland, as showed by a Department of Finance Tax Strategy Group presentation last July."

What is hell are they on about?

How is a €22.09 minimum bottle of whiskey cheaper than than the same bottle at €12.49 in Northern Ireland?

Thelonious Monk · 28-04-2021 12:32pm

As pretty much all of the voting population is against this, and people are disillusioned with the current government, why in god's name do they think it would be a good idea to introduce this now?
I don't think anything has ever annoyed me more than MUP when it comes to Irish politics, I don't actually miss pubs but f*ck them for lobbying for this and I wont be rushing back to give them my money anyway.

Antares35 · 28-04-2021 12:42pm

carq wrote: »

Have written to my local TD on the issue.

If this is brought in I will be holidaying up north and filling the boot on the way home.

We will be going to France.* Even if it costs the same or slightly more, I'll do it just so as not to give the f*ckers anything extra.

*Assuming they don't start tinkering around with that also.

KrustyUCC · 28-04-2021 12:45pm

Antares35 wrote: »

We will be going to France.* Even if it costs the same or slightly more, I'll do it just so as not to give the f*ckers anything extra.

*Assuming they don't start tinkering around with that also.

Some plans for that alright but that's down the line

VinLieger · 28-04-2021 1:08pm

Gonna really start stepping up my home brew game, been solely doing wine for a while but definitely moving into beer when im not using the equipment for wine.

Antares35 · 28-04-2021 1:16pm

VinLieger wrote: »

Gonna really start stepping up my home brew game, been solely doing wine for a while but definitely moving into beer when im not using the equipment for wine.

Wine home brew - I'm intrigued!

ShamNNspace · 28-04-2021 1:18pm

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

As pretty much all of the voting population is against this, and people are disillusioned with the current government, why in god's name do they think it would be a good idea to introduce this now?
I don't think anything has ever annoyed me more than MUP when it comes to Irish politics, I don't actually miss pubs but f*ck them for lobbying for this and I wont be rushing back to give them my money anyway.

Its only ould overpriced slop anyways they serve in a lot of these places especially in the tourist traps. The monks allways brewed the best alcohol anyway imv so you're halfway there allready

The One Doctor · 28-04-2021 1:21pm

Going back to homebrewing soon, mead mainly.

Bigmac1euro · 28-04-2021 1:31pm

Up the north I go. Once a month should cut it. Not too bad when you think about it. Until they bring it in. I’ll probably stop drinking at home then.

crossmolinalad · 28-04-2021 1:41pm

Antares35 wrote: »

We will be going to France.* Even if it costs the same or slightly more, I'll do it just so as not to give the f*ckers anything extra.

*Assuming they don't start tinkering around with that also.

Boxes of wine 2.5liter for 6 euro , 24 bottles of beer 50cl 15 euro on the continent
Buying them for years now there

odyssey06 · 28-04-2021 1:50pm

KrustyUCC wrote: »

"Alcohol Action Ireland maintains that with the introduction of MUP, the cheapest available alcohol product in Ireland will still be cheaper than those products in Northern Ireland, as showed by a Department of Finance Tax Strategy Group presentation last July."

What is hell are they on about?

How is a €22.09 minimum bottle of whiskey cheaper than than the same bottle at €12.49 in Northern Ireland?

There is no lie Alcohol action won't tell to justify this.
Their entire argument is built on dishonesty so why not go the whole hog.

carq · 28-04-2021 1:50pm

crossmolinalad wrote: »

Boxes of wine 2.5liter for 6 euro , 24 bottles of beer 50cl 15 euro on the continent
Buying them for years now there

Last time i checked the ferry prices were extortionate - 700 return or something like that. is this still the case?

Thelonious Monk · 28-04-2021 2:04pm

I actually wrote to all my TDs about this a few years ago saying they'll never get my vote again over this, it's been going on that long, and I think most of them responded, I remember Richard Bruton said something like sorry but it's for your own good in his response. I just can't believe they are so blind on this matter, f*cking no one wants it to happen.

Big Gerry · 28-04-2021 2:25pm

Big Gerry · 28-04-2021 2:27pm

When minimum pricing comes in I can see the black market for drink taking off like a rocket.

LillySV · 28-04-2021 2:33pm

I disagree, the "drinking problems" are myths from the government.

A lot of the younger generation already choosing drugs over alcohol .. wait till this happens ... it will push a lot more that way...we will be seeing higher instances of guys walking around like zombies chewing their gums .. on planet zog

odyssey06 · 28-04-2021 2:42pm

Retail Ireland concerned if this comes in without North adopting similar

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2021/0428/1212488-retailers-alcohol/

Suckit · 28-04-2021 3:23pm

odyssey06 wrote: »

Retail Ireland concerned if this comes in without North adopting similar

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2021/0428/1212488-retailers-alcohol/

They were supposed to wait for the North, but the crowd in charge at the minute, know better.
Somebody started pushing it a few weeks ago, and to be honest, I didn't think he stood a chance in hell in convincing them to plough ahead with it.
They can try and tax all alcohol coming into the Country if they want (IIRC that goes against EU laws), but there is no way they will be able to stop the importing of it en masse.

I couldn't hope to guess how this will all pan out, but I know that I will be looking abroad in the EU to import, and while I am at that, I may as well import bulk cheap wine and spirits with other goods.
The 2nd most expensive place in Europe to buy alcohol introducing MUP to stop the sale of 'cheap' alcohol.
F**K off.
You can push too hard, which they may find out.

One thing I would like to know, does anybody have the figures for alcohol sales in Scotland that were imported in car boots and vans? Are they counted in the overall drop in sales?

listermint · 28-04-2021 3:30pm

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I actually wrote to all my TDs about this a few years ago saying they'll never get my vote again over this, it's been going on that long, and I think most of them responded, I remember Richard Bruton said something like sorry but it's for your own good in his response. I just can't believe they are so blind on this matter, f*cking no one wants it to happen.

Similar response.

Carbon copy emails from number of TDs.

It's bizarre how out of touch with reality they are and so off base with their actual facts on consumption they are clearly being fed misinformation from some group or their party.

Fr Tod Umptious · 28-04-2021 3:55pm

listermint wrote: »

Similar response.

Carbon copy emails from number of TDs.

It's bizarre how out of touch with reality they are and so off base with their actual facts on consumption they are clearly being fed misinformation from some group or their party.

MUP has been on the cards since 2011
Roisin Shorthall then of the Labour Party was the junior minister for health that started the ball rolling on it.

So in that time there has been two General Elections and the threat of MUP has been so irrelevant to the political discussion that it has not appeared once as an election issue in all that time.

No TD is going to lose any significant amounts of votes let alone a seat over the implementation of MUP, regardless of what people here might think.

Thelonious Monk · 28-04-2021 3:58pm

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

No TD is going to lose any significant amounts of votes let alone a seat over the implementation of MUP, regardless of what people here might think.

This is true, and because the media are pro pretty much everything the Gov do it will barely get a mention.
And then we'll just suck it up and accept it and it'll be forgotten about.
I mean the saloon doors in supermarkets are just embarrassing, why in the f*ck are these zealots getting a say in anything. To think they are legalising cannabis in other countries and we're being nannied like this.

listermint · 28-04-2021 4:03pm

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

MUP has been on the cards since 2011
Roisin Shorthall then of the Labour Party was the junior minister for health that started the ball rolling on it.

So in that time there has been two General Elections and the threat of MUP has been so irrelevant to the political discussion that it has not appeared once as an election issue in all that time.

No TD is going to lose any significant amounts of votes let alone a seat over the implementation of MUP, regardless of what people here might think.

MUP has been on the cards of you call the cards hidden under a pile of bricks and we don't talk about it.

It hasn't appeared as a discussion point because they simply won't talk about it.

You know this I know this. Its blatantly unpopular has no public support has highly questionable data but has the zealot alcohol lobby and all the other interfere in people's lives religious centric nutters pushing their agenda.

They've also got the backing of the front vintner's lobby who are widely into party politics in this country.

It's a charade the whole thing.

tjhook · 28-04-2021 4:13pm

As it stands, MUP won't affect me. I already pay more than the MUP for the drink I like. And I don't drink that often.

But to dimmer minds, MUP will be like violence - "If it's not working, it's because you're not using enough of it".

I can foresee it having no effect on alcohol consumption, otherwise we'd already have the lowest consumption in Europe. So there'll probably be another round of MUP in a year or so. And so on...

Thelonious Monk · 28-04-2021 4:16pm

These clowns at AAI have to earn their grants etc so no doubt they'll be covering half the bottles in pictures of liver disease and god knows what else sooner or later, and they'll be trying to reduce off licence hours. They wont stop at MUP.

Suckit · 28-04-2021 4:38pm

tjhook wrote: »

As it stands, MUP won't affect me. I already pay more than the MUP for the drink I like. And I don't drink that often.

But to dimmer minds, MUP will be like violence - "If it's not working, it's because you're not using enough of it".

I can foresee it having no effect on alcohol consumption, otherwise we'd already have the lowest consumption in Europe. So there'll probably be another round of MUP in a year or so. And so on...

It will likely affect you. It causes a price increase on the premium brands too.

Big Gerry · 28-04-2021 5:30pm

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

This is true, and because the media are pro pretty much everything the Gov do it will barely get a mention.
And then we'll just suck it up and accept it and it'll be forgotten about.
I mean the saloon doors in supermarkets are just embarrassing, why in the f*ck are these zealots getting a say in anything. To think they are legalising cannabis in other countries and we're being nannied like this.

A lot of people in the Irish media are big coke users so they probably won't notice if the price of drink goes up.

tjhook · 28-04-2021 5:38pm

Suckit wrote: »

It will likely affect you. It causes a price increase on the premium brands too.

Heh, yes, possibly. I don't drink very much though, so I won't notice it.

I just resent a "health measure" that's really just an excuse to give in to a lobby.

listermint · 28-04-2021 5:40pm

tjhook wrote: »

As it stands, MUP won't affect me. I already pay more than the MUP for the drink I like. And I don't drink that often.

But to dimmer minds, MUP will be like violence - "If it's not working, it's because you're not using enough of it".

I can foresee it having no effect on alcohol consumption, otherwise we'd already have the lowest consumption in Europe. So there'll probably be another round of MUP in a year or so. And so on...

It will most definitely impact you. As it will most definitely impact me. I drink craft beers of varying varieties. This will allow all producers to move their pricing to to retain the premium margin difference they currently have between their products and the budget brands.

The notion this won't push premium products up is backed by absolutely no international evidence.

PunkIPA · 28-04-2021 5:43pm

There's a very nice little product in Aldi, Brown Bear IPA, produced here in Ireland (Pearse Lyons I think), 7.5% at 500ml.

Goes very nicely with rich foods, their duck pancakes being my usual pairing. I might drink two or three of these over the course of a weekend.

It currently sells for €2. With MUP the price will rise to €3.75. That's the better part of €300 over the course of a year.

I drink quite a few Irish craft beers which will also be affected by this puritanical nonsense.

Now, I am in Dublin City Centre every day and see alcoholics drinking on the steps of the Customs House and along the Quays all the time. I've yet to see them supping that particular brew.

If MUP is brought in I will simply stop buying any retail alcohol in this country, as I would imagine will anybody with an ounce of sense. A spin up to Newry once a year or every six months with a family member to buy a year's worth of drink will become the new norm.

I have never seen a stupider public health policy in all my life.

Oh wait, I have, those useless f**king flappy doors, which goes to show the staggering levels of stupefying incompetence involved with the people making these decisions.

PunkIPA · 28-04-2021 6:08pm

Just another example:

The cheapest a 700ml bottle of 40% spirit can sell for is €22. Already, the likes of Jameson Crested and Black Bush can be got on sale for €25.

Again, not the favoured tipple of the average wino.

Those days will be gone. If the entry level expressions are selling for a minimum €22, the cheapest the more upmarket drams will be selling for is c.€30.

Anyone who thinks that MUP won't increase the price of their chosen tipple is, quite frankly, deluded, unless they are regularly swilling Dom or Dream Cask of a weekend.

The annual pilgrimage across the border will become an inevitable part of Irish life if this deranged lunacy goes ahead.

Tony EH · 28-04-2021 6:10pm

PunkIPA wrote: »

I have never seen a stupider public health policy in all my life.

Minimum pricing has nothing to do with "health". It's price gouging, nothing more.

KrustyUCC · 28-04-2021 6:11pm

PunkIPA wrote: »

There's a very nice little product in Aldi, Brown Bear IPA, produced here in Ireland (Pearse Lyons I think), 7.5% at 500ml.

Goes very nicely with rich foods, their duck pancakes being my usual pairing. I might drink two or three of these over the course of a weekend.

It currently sells for €2. With MUP the price will rise to €3.75. That's the better part of €300 over the course of a year.

I drink quite a few Irish craft beers which will also be affected by this puritanical nonsense.

Now, I am in Dublin City Centre every day and see alcoholics drinking on the steps of the Customs House and along the Quays all the time. I've yet to see them supping that particular brew.

If MUP is brought in I will simply stop buying any retail alcohol in this country, as I would imagine will anybody with an ounce of sense. A spin up to Newry once a year or every six months with a family member to buy a year's worth of drink will become the new norm.

I have never seen a stupider public health policy in all my life.

Oh wait, I have, those useless f**king flappy doors, which goes to show the staggering levels of stupefying incompetence involved with the people making these decisions.

Great beer alright

I'm definitely stocking up before this travesty comes in

Eunan McKinney lying on virgin media news that the price differential won't drive people over the border

€10 saving for the same bottle of whiskey makes shopping in the North a no brainer

KrustyUCC · 28-04-2021 6:13pm

PunkIPA wrote: »

Just another example:

The cheapest a 700ml bottle of 40% spirit can sell for is €28. Already, the likes of Jameson Crested and Black Bush can be got on sale for €25.

Again, not the favoured tipple of the average wino.

Those days will be gone. If the entry level expressions are selling for a minimum €28, the cheapest the more upmarket drams will be selling for is c.€35.

Anyone who thinks that MUP won't increase the price of their chosen tipple is, quite frankly, deluded, unless they are regularly swilling Dom or Dream Cask of a weekend.

The annual pilgrimage across the border will become an inevitable part of Irish life if this deranged lunacy goes ahead.

€22.09 for a bottle of whiskey

€31.56 for the cheapest litre of whiskey

That will drive prices in premium brands up alright

PunkIPA · 28-04-2021 6:18pm

KrustyUCC wrote: »

€22.09 for a bottle of whiskey

€31.56 for the cheapest litre of whiskey

That will drive prices in premium brands up alright

Ah, my calculations were slightly off - I though a 1ml of alcohol had a mass of a 1g rather than 0.8g.

My point still stands!

KrustyUCC · 28-04-2021 6:21pm

PunkIPA wrote: »

Ah, my calculations were slightly off - I though a 1ml of alcohol had a mass of a 1g rather than 0.8g.

My point still stands!

Absolutely but you might get the examples you gave for €28-€30 on sale with bog standard whiskey at €22

Tony EH · 28-04-2021 6:26pm

Akesh wrote: »

We are a disgraceful nanny state. It's actually embarrassing. I don't know how the people of Ireland aren't calling out for direct democracy.

Vote for the same charlatans every year and expect different results. We get what we deserve.

It has fuck all to do with "nanny state". The people pushing this don't care about your health. They care about the money in your wallet.

They'll hide behind a plethora of of "caring" words and phrases and talk down to you saying "it's for your own good".

But it's the extra shillings they're interested in.

Thelonious Monk · 28-04-2021 7:42pm

Tony EH wrote: »

Minimum pricing has nothing to do with "health". It's price gouging, nothing more.

I don't even think it is, because it doesn't benefit government coffers. I think it's simply a case of no one putting a stop or standing up to the couple of Oireachtas members and the likes of those c*nts in AAI who are pushing this, and allowing them to carry on with their plan to stop everyone drinking or making us feel like f*cking children.
And why aren't radio presenters etc representing the public on this issue? It makes me so angry.
Spineless rats the lot of them.

dirkmeister · 28-04-2021 7:50pm

Terry Prachett had a great line about how you can push almost anything through once you tell the people it’s in the interests of “good”.

Imagine a journalist in Ireland that might bother doing a price check on just how “cheap” our alcohol really is?!?

Wouldn’t that be something.

Fr Tod Umptious · 28-04-2021 8:21pm

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I don't even think it is, because it doesn't benefit government coffers. I think it's simply a case of no one putting a stop or standing up to the couple of Oireachtas members and the likes of those c*nts in AAI who are pushing this, and allowing them to carry on with their plan to stop everyone drinking or making us feel like f*cking children.
And why aren't radio presenters etc representing the public on this issue? It makes me so angry.
Spineless rats the lot of them.

Oh I think you will look back in years to come and say to yourself, WTF ?

It's the price of off licenses booze for Christ sake.

You seem to be really agitated about it.

C*nts, rats, really ?

Thelonious Monk · 28-04-2021 8:25pm

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Oh I think you will look back in years to come and say to yourself, WTF ?

It's the price of off licenses booze for Christ sake.

You seem to be really agitated about it.

C*nts, rats, really ?

Yep, this kind of nannying over alcohol really annoys me, it's bad enough here with licencing hours and all of these things and now they're pandering to a few puritan nutjobs instead of listening to the vast majority of the population.

Fr Tod Umptious · 28-04-2021 8:37pm

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Yep, this kind of nannying over alcohol really annoys me, it's bad enough here with licencing hours and all of these things and now they're pandering to a few puritan nutjobs instead of listening to the vast majority of the population.

While I tend to agree with you about the restriction of opening hours, the reversal of the 12:30am on a Thursday and the introduction of the 10pm for Off licenses in particular I would not have been as animated as yourself about it at the time and it doesn't really bother me now.

But I'm someone who did my drinking primarily in the 1990s

At the time pubs closed at either 11pm or 11.30pm depending on summer or winter
There were no late bars and night clubs only opened till 1am I believe

Also a can of off license beer was approx. IR£1 or more and there was no 20 bottle or can box deals available.

So with weekend bars opening till at least 12:30 and a plethora of late bars to chose from and the fact that off license drink is "relatively" cheaper than it was 25 years ago, things has actually improved a great deal.

Mimon · 28-04-2021 8:56pm

Mr. teddywinkles wrote: »

Excuse the rant but
So they want to bring in MUP.
More taxes coming in people next year to pay for covid.
Ban firewood and irish briquettes.
Increase the cost of flying abroad significantly for a holiday.
Change direct provision process to enable to spend billions of taxpayers money to bring in
1000s if not 10000s of migrants from outside the EU and house them at the taxpayers expense.
Anything else I'm missing.
I suppose increase the pension age to 80 next.
They tell us it's good our mental health being busy.
Jesus the one thing I have after working my arse off all week.
A drink on a Sunday evening.
Cant even have that.

Get your point about the nanny state stuff in general but can't agree with a lot of your other points.

Bit too right wing on the refugee bashing and don't see the problem with saving the remaining bogs that we have for a myriad of reasons.

This minimum pricing stuff alone is enough to ensure that I won't vote for FF or FG in the next election.

Muahahaha · 28-04-2021 9:59pm

VinLieger wrote: »

Gonna really start stepping up my home brew game, been solely doing wine for a while but definitely moving into beer when im not using the equipment for wine.

Yeah likewise, used to brew a few years back and will likely go back to it, I can see a bit of a boom in homebrewing when people realise you can make really good beer for just 50c a pint. Its also likely MUP turn into a double whammy for the craft brewing industry as their retail prices rise while simultaneously people see homebrewers making beers just as good for a fraction of the cost of craft beers in the supermarkets.

Big Gerry wrote: »

When minimum pricing comes in I can see the black market for drink taking off like a rocket.

Yeah can definitely see a black market emerging pretty quickly. Revenue already admit that around 25% of all tobacco sales in Ireland are through the black market. Its a relatively new phenomenon brought about because of a decade of annual price rises on cigarettes that far outstrip the level of inflation. Theres a wide network across the country already selling cigarettes door to door, people put in their orders on Whatsapp and its delivered weekly. That same network is already well positioned to move into alcohol now too. I can also see criminal gangs setting up mobile distilleries in truck trailers, moving them about to avoid detection. Polish community are also likely to get into distillation too.

28-04-2021 10:02pm

10 years ago illegal distilleries started popping up around the border. It'll be happening again if 20+ quid is the cheapest bottle of **** vodka available legally.

elperello · 28-04-2021 10:09pm

Mimon wrote: »

Get your point about the nanny state stuff in general but can't agree with a lot of your other points.

Bit too right wing on the refugee bashing and don't see the problem with saving the remaining bogs that we have for a myriad of reasons.

This minimum pricing stuff alone is enough to ensure that I won't vote for FF or FG in the next election.

Worth noting that no party voted against this in Dail or Senate.

The only politician who spoke out against it was Prof. Sean Barrett when he was a Senator.

Being an economist he saw immediately that the money will be going to the drinks trade.

Atlantic Dawn · 28-04-2021 10:37pm

FF clown being schooled now on Tonight Show on VM1.

Reputable Rog · 28-04-2021 10:41pm

A lot of unrest at the Blueshirt PP meeting tonight over MUP.
Varadamir says nothing is agreed, only Frank Feighan spoke in favour.
I don’t think it will happen anytime soon, all depends on what nut job replaces Snarlene though.

Atlantic Dawn · 28-04-2021 10:45pm

FF clown mentions that there is no heavy volumes of traffic crossing the border to buy cheaper tobacco up North, eh that might be because cigarettes are dearer up north than here, bloody idiot...

€14.20
https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=252173783

€15.28/£13.30
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/295664413

Minimum alcohol pricing is nigh

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