VFI critical of Government “stalling” on alcohol legislation
Publicans are particularly irate at Government stalling on the introduction of regulations controlling the sale, promotion and supply of alcohol.
Print14 May 2013
“The pub trade is losing 38 jobs a week and the longer Government stalls on the introduction of legislation on the sale of alcohol, the more likely it is that this trend will continue,” stated VFI President Gerry Rafter at the VFI Conference in Trim, County Meath, today, “Minister White and Minister Shortall before him championed a minimum price for alcohol and safer sale and promotion of alcohol, but still we have seen no movement.
“We cannot be ignored any longer and the health lobby and public opinion firmly backs our stance. A recent Ipsos MRBI poll showed an approval rate of over three to one for minimum pricing. The same poll showed an approval rate of almost two to one for reducing the number of outlets selling alcohol.”
Over 350 publicans are attending the Knightsbrook Hotel in County Meath for the 40th Vintners’ Federation of Ireland AGM.
VFI President and Kilkenny publican Gerry Rafter addressed delegates and highlighted the “dire reality which sees publicans and other businesses all over Ireland struggling for survival”.
On the back of independent membership research that clearly highlighted a difficult first three months of 2013 for members as well as disquiet with Government, Gerry Rafter said, “50,000 people rely on the pub as a means of employment and to support their families. The drinks industry has lost 6,000 jobs since 2009 and 1,300 pubs have shut their doors since 2005. The value of the pub as a large employer outside Dublin is often overlooked.”
Assembled publicans spoke about the valuable contribution the Irish pub makes to rural Ireland as a social hub but also a major employer.
One of the main items for discussion was an emergency AGM Motion outlining the ferocious opposition amongst VFI members to the extreme austerity measures that are currently being implemented by government and are underlining fragile consumer confidence.
Gerry Rafter explained, “Publicans and retailers all over Ireland see at first hand the crippling effect on confidence and spending power that austerity has had on already hard pressed consumers. People either have no money or are afraid to spend and the government cannot take any more money out of people’s already shallow pockets. We are all looking for a chink of light from this administration to boost confidence.”
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