Mr. Joe Sweeney:

I do not sell alcohol but I sell water and I have to charge more for it than is charged by the supermarkets for alcohol. On the segregation of the licensing, one of the problems is that many small retailers would not be able to afford the high cost of implementing such a change. What would happen is that one would turn convenience stores into off-licences with grocery instead of grocery shops with an off-licence. It would enormously increase the cost of doing business for small retailers. It would not be that much of an issue for multiples and large stores because of the space available to them and the profits they make.