Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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This brings me to the fundamental question I want to ask Mr. Cribben. He is dead right. The pub experience in Ireland is unique and gives our business model a particular type of branding and a particular advantage over other destination points. Those in the retail trade have embraced significantly online technology and even though one can buy a mobile phone online, the research will show that most consumers want to go their phone shop to buy the product. They like to feel it before they purchase. Likewise, in recent weeks there was a big difference between sitting down and having a drink at home watching the World Cup and going out to the pub to watch it. A concern Mr. Cribben and I would share is that there are many employed here in the drinks sector, not only at the pub end of it but in the manufacturing of alcohol. Predominantly, we are a whiskey and beer manufacturing country but we have seen exponential growth in the consumption of wine which is not a domestically manufactured product. Has Mr. Cribben any thoughts on how we can ensure that alcohol-producing sector is provided an incentive in the way that sector is in other jurisdictions? I note the French have a particular bent towards providing incentives for the production of wine, and the consumption of wine reflects that in those areas. Could we be doing something differently here, but in the way we market our pubs? Visitors do not come here for the sunshine. They come here for a unique Irish experience of which the pub is one part. They do not come here to drink wine. They come here to drink beer and whiskey. How can we provide such an incentive?