Drinks tax cut would create jobs, says lobby group

Support Your Local says excise on alcohol is damaging the industry

A lobby group of indepdenent off licences, hotels and pubs has appealed to the government to cut Excise in alcohol in the next budget

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The debate over alcohol pricing – whether it is too high or too low – continues. Support You Local, a campaign backed by politicians, restaurants, hotels, independent off-licences and drinks suppliers, has said today that a reduction in excise on alcohol would help create jobs. Latest figures published by the group reveal that Ireland is the most expensive country in the world in which to buy alcohol. Beer excise has increased by 44% since 2012, and up to 30% of the price of a pint goes to the Exchequer, the group says.

British MP Greg Mulholland, who runs Save the Pub, a UK equivalent of Support Your Local, was in Dublin last week and told TDs at the Oireachtas Jobs Committee that a cut in beer duty in the UK had helped created 26,000 jobs.

John Geraghty, founder of price comparison and deal listing website Publin.ie, said that tax is the reason the price of a pint has increased in recent years. “Since 2011, the average price of a pint has increased by 36c, with 78% of this increase going straight to the Exchequer.

“Beer tax is 56% lower in Germany,” Geraghty said, “accounting for 79c on the average price of beer.”

Geraghty said that Support Your Local is calling on the Government to reverse excise tax on alcohol in the next Budget. “Excise Duty is a tax that we can no longer afford,” he said.

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