Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As there is a vote in the Dáil, I will be brief.

I have a couple of points. First, it does not surprise me that 24% of alcohol sales are in wine. If one goes to a restaurant or a pub, a glass of wine is €5.50. If one goes to the supermarket or off-licence, a bottle of wine - before this increase - was €7; it is now approximately €8. Even the €1 increase will not force consumers onto the on-sales. The figures are disproportionate for sales in restaurants or pubs for a glass of wine compared to buying a bottle in a supermarket or off-licence.

Another concern of mine, which the Minister himself raised, is that the majority of those who buy a bottle of wine for €8 are those who do not have much disposable income but there is not the same impact on those who are able to buy the more expensive wine. There is something the Minister needs to do on that in terms of fairness.

This is not the best approach. There is also the issue of its having been a driver to cross-Border shopping in the past. It is not an issue at present but a close eye needs to be kept on it because it could lead to significant revenue loss.