Deputy Ann Phelan asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the loss of jobs in the vintners industry over the past five years and the fact that the health lobby now accepts that the issues are not a result of the price of alcohol but of the availability of cheap alcohol; his views that this issue needs to be addressed through minimum pricing rather than through an increase in excise; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Minister for Finance (Deputy Michael Noonan): Minimum pricing is a mechanism of imposing a statutory floor in price levels for alcohol products that must be legally observed by retailers. Its primary function would be to discourage at-risk levels of alcohol consumption. A National Substance Misuse Strategy was established in 2009. It is examining the development of policy to deal with a wide range of key issues relating to the supply, pricing, availability and marketing of alcohol – including the question of a minimum price for alcohol - along with measures for the policy areas of prevention strategies, treatment, rehabilitation and substance dependency, research and information. The report of the Steering Group is close to completion. The Minister for Health expects to receive proposals in the coming months and he will then brief his colleagues in Government on these. The Deputy may be aware that Ireland’s alcohol tax levels are already high in relation to other EU Member States. At July 2011, we had the highest excise duty within the EU 27 for sparkling wine, the third-highest for still wine and spirits and the fourth-highest for beer.
Source: debates.oireachtas.ie, 01/12/2011
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