Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In respect of Financial Resolution No. 1, my party is disappointed that the Government has not addressed the issue of alcohol sales in the off-licence trade. We made a number of proposals in that area in our submission.

As the Taoiseach will be aware, there has been a shift in sales from the on-licence trade to the off-licence trade in recent times and some of the promotions of alcohol in the off-licence trade are neither good for public health nor beneficial for the Exchequer in terms of revenue.

I expected that today's budget would have involved some move on the below-cost selling of alcohol in the off-licence trade. As the Taoiseach will be aware, the multiples are the main culprits in that area. There is scope for a levy in respect of the sale of alcohol in the off-licence trade. Instead, what the Taoiseach proposes here will penalise the on-licence trade. It is the wrong move at this time.

My party will oppose Financial Resolution No. 1, primarily on the grounds that the Minister for Finance has not addressed the issue of the blatant abuse of the sale of alcohol at enormous discounts in the off-licence trade, particularly in the multiples. I had expected that there would be some initiative in that area which would also have been beneficial for the State by way of revenue, but the Minister has not done that. Instead, he has gone back to the old reliable of merely putting it on to the price of a pint in the pub.

My leader wishes to speak on Financial Resolution No. 2 on which he has a track record.

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