Ms Isolde Goggin:

The CCPC would see the price of alcohol as a health issue. The CCPC will not object to whatever measures are taken to protect people's health.

One of our predecessor organisations made an intervention on this some years ago. What was said was that while it is obvious that a higher price of alcohol reduces alcohol consumption, there is absolutely no doubt about it, if one is going to charge a higher price, then one is better off having that based on a high tax rate because the money then goes to the Exchequer to deal with the health problems that are created by alcohol abuse rather than necessarily having it just as a high price for alcohol. We say that because one can inadvertently make it very profitable to sell alcohol. We know that some of the major retailers get huge bulk discounts on alcohol purchased but are getting it in at a very high price. They are required to sell it at a low price but sell it at a high price and that difference is going to pure profit rather than going to the Exchequer, where it could contribute towards mitigating the health problems.