Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I would know of the issues that Mr. Cribben from the Vintners' Federation of Ireland raised having been made aware of them by the local publicans in my area who would have raised them with me repeatedly, in particular what Sky channels cost, which are extraordinary.

When a young person can go into a supermarket and buy alcohol at a cheaper price than water, he or she will be inclined to consume more alcohol. There is the practice that people will consume alcohol before they head to the pub later at night. The proprietor has the problem that they may be intoxicated and has the responsibility to turn them away.

I am conscious that publicans are intelligent people. They know there is a real problem for them. They have higher costs, in particular if they are leasing or renting the premises on top of the running costs. They must have a certain margin to make a living, but increasingly it is more difficult to make a living because the issue of supermarkets selling cheap alcohol has not been addressed.

We are all intelligent people. I cannot figure out why this clear issue has dragged on for the length it has. I would like to hear the witnesses comment on it.