Bad news for drinkers. FG/Labour to introduce minimum prices!

Laisurg

2 or 3 euro on top of the price is not gonna make a huge difference.... sneaky way of getting more taxes imo, it is labour after all. (which means is starting to mean soft conservative here)

hmmm

FFS, we've enough with cutbacks, job losses and tax rises, but now they want to make life even more miserable and awkward.

It'd be nice if we could be like a normal grown up country where we could buy a beer and enjoy it, without jumping through hoops. This is pure Labour nanny stateism. FG are jumping on board because it will supposedly help publicans. Gob****es the lot of them, FF being just as bad.

sh1tstirrer

Biggins wrote: »

Would you place a bet on that in the bookies? :pac:

A bet that they won't put a blanket ban on the sale of alcohol. Do you think the bookies would even take such a bet?

Robdude

I am amazed at the Irish ability to sit back and get screwed over by their government.

Does anyone *honestly* think that what Ireland really needs right now is MORE taxes?

Biggins

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

A bet that they won't put a blanket ban on the sale of alcohol. Do you think the bookies would even take such a bet?

From what I believe (I'm not a bookies person - never in my life filled in even a betting slip) some of the chains of bookies will take a bet on anything.
(within reason and public decency I assume)

I don't think this government will be happy till its taken every piece of personnal freedom that we have. Rarely do I head out specifically to purchase alcohol but when shopping I'll often pick up a few cans of beer. It's nice to be able to relax at home with a nice home cooked meal, a tasty ale and a good film. I'm sure that some committee would tell me that drinking alone is the first step on the road to becoming an alcoholic but to me it's one of life's simple pleasures.

It's getting to the stage that i really don't see a future for me in this country and each subsequent FG and Labour "solution" just makes me wish that I could afford to emigrate and start elsewhere

Skid

If they bring this in I will be doing all my shopping, for drink and Groceries, in the North once a week.

The Government is going to lose out on serious VAT and Excise Duties over this.

Utter joke of a proposal, I hope someone challenges it's Constitutionality, or that someone with a bit of Cop On stops it before it becomes law.

Biggins

Deleted User wrote: »

It's getting to the stage that i really don't see a future for me in this country and each subsequent FG and Labour "solution" just makes me wish that I could afford to emigrate and start elsewhere

Your not on your own.
I'm VERY torn at the moment if to stay and fight some continuing political stupidity - I'm still here for the moment and trying.
Thats said, with every new lie, u-turn, anti-democratic move (trying to by pass the next possible referendum) and plain two-faceness of our current lot, they sure as hell are not persuading me to stay.

If I won a substantial amount on the Lotto sometime soon, I suspect I might be gone within a week, and hand on heart thats not something I really want to do.
I love my nation but my nations leaders are not loving me back.

DarkJager

Biggins wrote: »

Update: It looks like another kick in the teeth for supermarkets is coming!

“The committee also wants to ban the sale of alcohol alongside groceries…”

So they want to stop Supermarkets selling alcohol?
I can see a HUGE European court case over this, related to anti-competitiveness.
The big chains won’t take it lying down – and rightly so.

Full article:

A PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE has recommended tough new rules on alcohol sales and advertising, including the outright ban of all advertising of alcohol products on social networking websites.
The Oireachtas committee on Health and Children has also called for a ban on TV alcohol advertising before 9pm at night, and a ban on all retail advertising relating to the discounting of alcohol products.

The report, published this afternoon, also recommends that the government end VAT refunds on below-cost sales of alcohol, and that the government should ban services which deliver alcohol directly to a consumer’s home.
The committee also wants to ban the sale of alcohol alongside groceries, confectionery and fuel, expressing concern about the “proliferation of outlet which sell alcoholic products”.

The report stopped short of making a formal recommendation on banning the below-cost sale of alcohol, saying that while a majority of members of the committee were in favour of it, a number of members proposed higher alcohol spending taxes instead.
The report also recommends a programme of educational programmes on the dangers of drug and alcohol misuse, aimed at the general public, and that the government consider an outright ban of the sale of alcohol in certain outlets.

On drugs, the report recommends an outright ban in the import of cannabis seeds, and that Ireland’s drug legislation be amended to include stricter controls on importing benzodiazepines, including the likes of Valium and Xanax.

Committee chairman Jerry Buttimer (FG) said the aim of the report was to “highlight the prevalence of alcohol and other drugs in society and to emphasise the misuse of alcohol in particular, this being the most commonly used drug – what some have called the ‘national drug’.”

It is the Committee’s belief that there is no single measure which will solve the problem of alcohol misuse. Rather, a package of measures is needed to change our attitudes towards, and behaviour regarding, the consumption of alcohol.

The Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland welcomed the calls for increased education on the effects of drugs, the proposed introduction of a 9pm watershed on alcohol advertising would be ineffective given the presence of foreign broadcasts in Ireland.

http://www.thejournal.ie/oireachtas-committee-recommends-new-rules-on-alcohol-advertising-336180-Jan2012/?new_comment=1#comment-229294

Another bunch of overpaid ****ing idiots trolling everyone as usual. But it cuts 2 ways:

I see too many shops selling sweets, even petrol stations are at it. Ban sweets and confine their sale to licensed sweet shops only.

Fast food is very bad for you, and there's too many mcdonalds and supermacs around now. Even some petrol stations have it!! Ban fast food and confine it to unmarked licensed shops only.

Too many shops selling mobile phone credit. Do they not know that allowing people to buy credit lets them call a friend to pick up some sweets, fast food and booze for them?? Ban mobile phone credit and confine it to phone shops only.


Or we could act like adults and simply euthanise these ****ing overpaid **** and every subsequent stupid **** who wants to tell us how to live our lives.

Robdude

DarkJager wrote: »

Another bunch of overpaid ****ing idiots trolling everyone as usual. But it cuts 2 ways:

I see too many shops selling sweets, even petrol stations are at it. Ban sweets and confine their sale to licensed sweet shops only.

Fast food is very bad for you, and there's too many mcdonalds and supermacs around now. Even some petrol stations have it!! Ban fast food and confine it to unmarked licensed shops only.

Too many shops selling mobile phone credit. Do they not know that allowing people to buy credit lets them call a friend to pick up some sweets, fast food and booze for them?? Ban mobile phone credit and confine it to phone shops only.


Or we could act like adults and simply euthanise these ****ing overpaid **** and every subsequent stupid **** who wants to tell everybody else how to live our lives.

I'm just waiting for mandatory government fitness programs...

quietriot

Robdude wrote: »

I am amazed at the Irish ability to sit back and get screwed over by their government.

Does anyone *honestly* think that what Ireland really needs right now is MORE taxes?

Yes, the government needs more money coming in at the moment. To say otherwise is sheer ignorance of the situation we're in.

The country is broke. Not just broke, but deeply in debt to nations surrounding us. Our country is currently being run on loans from foreign countries and this isn't going to change until the government has more money coming in.

Please don't go on a socialist rant about bondholders and the rich by the way, everything is being implemented in a fair manner at the moment and there's a lot more cuts and expenses coming in the next few years.

That is the price associated with voting for a party that put nothing behind for a rainy day when the country had a lot of money coming in, who deregulated the banks, guaranteed the same deregulated banks and let the country run riot with credit on a personal level.

Now, I didn't contribute to nor benefit from this and as I feel I don't want to be paying for it, I'll be emigrating within the next 2 years. However, the fact of the matter is that the government needs a lot more money coming in and a lot less money going out. Taxes and charges sort the former, cuts to services and public sector is the other.

Both are on the cards and thankfully we've a government who've shown they're not afraid to make the tough decisions at the moment, although if Labour weren't involved we'd see the PS getting hit much harder now.

Ghandee

How to make money due to recession FG and Labours stupidity:

Wait until they hike vat up, minimum charge on a beer, stop you from exercising the right to get it from shop/garage etc.

Organise once a week bus to Newry charging a reasonable return fare (enough to cover bus rental and small profit for one's self)to purchase food/clothing/alcohol etc. At cheaper rate/lower vat etc.

Doing shiit like this when most of us live within a few hours travel time of the north is nonsensical! Prob millions more euro leaving our coffers for HMRC!
This govt sure knows how to keep the stereotypical 'silly Paddy' myth alive and well.

tayto lover

There is no such thing as a Labour Party anymore, they have been succumbed into Fine Gael. They are now dead in the water.

44leto

Even with these measures alcohol IMO is still very cheap. I think it a revenue raising issue disguised as a health measure. Also it might give a slight boost to the beleaguered and the getting battered pub trade.

quietriot

DarkJager wrote: »

Or we could act like adults and simply euthanise these ****ing overpaid **** and every subsequent stupid **** who wants to tell us how to live our lives.

Yep, forced euthanasia is the adult way of behaving in the face of economic problems. Euthanize the overpaid ****? Why not euthanize the unemployed and sick, who are undoubtedly the two biggest financial burdens on the state? That'd save a LOT more money than these so called **** you refer to.

And hey, these **** are working to try and come up with and implement solutions to the issues we face, while the unemployed and sick aren't really doing anything to contribute, are they? So they're definitely more deserving of having their lives ended by force, right?

It appears as though some people need to be told how to live their lives, with rising obesity, people becoming addicted to substances, people destroying their health through bad diet...these are all burdens on our health system, you realise that? The same health system paid for by the tax payer.

Or would you prefer that we just didn't serve those without health insurance in our hospitals, and let these people live their lives and not afford to be able to deal with the consequences? Living life, dealing with the consequences...utopia, right?

jonon9

The government couldn't give a rats ass about the teenagers in this country their paying tax out of their beer money aren't they its just more tax. Do you honestly think labour or who ever gives a flying monkeys crap if some teen dies from drink, they do in their eyeball!

Mushy

Biggins wrote: »

Update: It looks like another kick in the teeth for supermarkets is coming!


So they want to stop Supermarkets selling alcohol?
I can see a HUGE European court case over this, related to anti-competitiveness.
The big chains won’t take it lying down – and rightly so.

Full article:



http://www.thejournal.ie/oireachtas-committee-recommends-new-rules-on-alcohol-advertising-336180-Jan2012/?new_comment=1#comment-229294

As far as I know they can't do it in Australia, so the supermarkets have off-licences right beside them under a different name.

El Siglo

44leto wrote: »

Even with these measures alcohol IMO is still very cheap. I think it a revenue raising issue disguised as a health measure. Also it might give a slight boost to the beleaguered and the getting battered pub trade.

Fuck them, fuck them right in the ear. They took the piss out of us during the boom times, they've had to drop their prices during the recession. That's called the free market, get fucking used to it like the rest of us.

This is what happens when you let the VFI have a voice... Shower of cunts.

Biggins

Mushy wrote: »

As far as I know they can't do it in Australia, so the supermarkets have off-licences right beside them under a different name.

Clever!

rasper

[

As far as I know they can't do it in Australia, so the supermarkets have off-licences right beside them under a different name.[/Quote]

They Also have drive through off licences , where you don't get out of your car

dr.fuzzenstein

quietriot wrote: »

It appears as though some people need to be told how to live their lives, with rising obesity, people becoming addicted to substances, people destroying their health through bad diet...these are all burdens on our health system, you realise that? The same health system paid for by the tax payer

It's called freedom of choice.
Why not force people by law to eat healthy and take exercise?
Have monthly inspections, look into our fridge, take blood samples, inspect out shopping list?
Outlaw all fast food, alcohol, fags, chocolate and so forth outright and begin extensive re-education programes in internment camps of un-cooperative subjects?
I have a right to self-determination, no one can take that away from me and if the state tried, I would have to take steps to eradicate the state.
Give me the information, let me make up my own mind and stay the fcuk away from my decision.
Thank god you are not in charge, never will be and I can therefore safely ignore your dangerous opinion, knowing that that sort of drivel belongs to the looney fringe.
I'll now go to my fridge, have another beer an d sleep well tonight, knowing that your opinion forever belongs to chat-rooms, thank Christ for that.
I already buy my fags non-Irish thanks to the idiotic and retarded tax on them here, alcohol is to follow.
No money for piss-takers.
It's just the government being desperate for money and trying to prop up their good friends in the pub trade.
Thieving liars.

quietriot

El Siglo wrote: »

Fuck them, fuck them right in the ear. They took the piss out of us during the boom times, they've had to drop their prices during the recession. That's called the free market, get fucking used to it like the rest of us.

This is what happens when you let the VFI have a voice... Shower of cunts.

Although I see the urgency for the government to get money in, I hope that we see more pub closures this year than ever before. I hope the pub trade is driven into the ground.

The influence of the LVA is abhorrent, the pubs worked together to deter competition and fix their prices and now the **** has hit the fan, they're targetting competitive businesses through uncompetitive, bullying practices.

44leto

quietriot wrote: »

Although I see the urgency for the government to get money in, I hope that we see more pub closures this year than ever before. I hope the pub trade is driven into the ground.

The influence of the LVA is abhorrent, the pubs worked together to deter competition and fix their prices and now the **** has hit the fan, they're targetting competitive businesses through uncompetitive, bullying practices.

I would hate that, all those empty units would be the death nell to our high streets. The Irish pub does have a cultural significance in this country.

quietriot

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

It's called freedom of choice.
Why not force people by law to eat healthy and take exercise?
Have monthly inspections, look into our fridge, take blood samples, inspect out shopping list?
Outlaw all fast food, alcohol, fags, chocolate and so forth outright and begin extensive re-education programes in internment camps of un-cooperative subjects?
I have a right to self-determination, no one can take that away from me and if the state tried, I would have to take steps to eradicate the state.
Give me the information, let me make up my own mind and stay the fcuk away from my decision.
Thank god you are not in charge, never will be and I can therefore safely ignore your dangerous opinion, knowing that that sort of drivel belongs to the looney fringe.
I'll now go to my fridge, have another beer an d sleep well tonight, knowing that your opinion forever belongs to chat-rooms, thank Christ for that.

LOL, just LOL.

Ok, eat what you want, we'll pull out the public health system funding and let the fatties and smokers either pay for their insurance (unsubsidized), or deal with diabetes, cancer and heart problems in the comfort of their couch with their junk food and fags.

Oh but I'm sure that wouldn't suit, right? You want the freedom to do whatever you want with your body, at a cost of the taxpayer! I don't think so buddy. Either we prevent people from unnecessarily damaging themselves to the point they require medical help, or we let them do what they want and not cover the costs when the **** hits the fan.

El Siglo

quietriot wrote: »

Although I see the urgency for the government to get money in, I hope that we see more pub closures this year than ever before. I hope the pub trade is driven into the ground.

The influence of the LVA is abhorrent, the pubs worked together to deter competition and fix their prices and now the **** has hit the fan, they're targetting competitive businesses through uncompetitive, bullying practices.

I've nothing against the pub trade, as much as I have against petrol stations. The commonality between the two is that they both purvey a product that is inherently controlled by cartels. Let the 'invisible hand' sort them out, like the rest of us!

El Siglo

44leto wrote: »

I would hate that, all those empty units would be the death nell to our high streets. The Irish pub does have a cultural significance in this country.

UK -->

UsernameInUse

I've raised this issue several times with my TD's, particularly Roisin Shortall (the cretin responsible for bringing this about). FG/LP are NOT Capitalists as Capitalism dictates that free trade encourages competition. What this legislation effectively does is pander to the Vinters that have lobbyed government and seek to phase out any remaining consumer choice in this country.

This is Corporatism - the shafting of the ordinary man and woman to benefit the wealthy. But it has been coming...the majority just haven't nor do they possess the education or knowledge to understand the fundamentals of economics, nevermind see it affecting their wallets. Price wise, the only way from here is up. Congratulations people, this is the cause of voting time and again for the status quo. Whats even more pathetic is that if there was a GE tomorrow morning, the same leeches would be voted in again. There is no helping you....go wallow and moan in your own piss and shit.

44leto

quietriot wrote: »

LOL, just LOL.

Ok, eat what you want, we'll pull out the public health system funding and let the fatties and smokers either pay for their insurance (unsubsidized), or deal with diabetes, cancer and heart problems in the comfort of their couch with their junk food and fags.

Oh but I'm sure that wouldn't suit, right? You want the freedom to do whatever you want with your body, at a cost of the taxpayer! I don't think so buddy. Either we prevent people from unnecessarily damaging themselves to the point they require medical help, or we let them do what they want and not cover the costs when the **** hits the fan.

An unhealthy populace actually works out cheaper in the long run, less pensions and less inevitable medical care in old age.

But if you want to cut an economies future costs lower the price of cigarettes.

44leto

El Siglo wrote: »

UK -->

We have High streets as well, its just an economic term
<-- so back to Ireland.

quietriot

44leto wrote: »

I would hate that, all those empty units would be the death nell to our high streets. The Irish pub does have a cultural significance in this country.

It might teach them something about engaging in active competition though, as opposed to meeting eachother and putting the prices up together while offering no actual value for money in their premises.

If I go out on a Saturday night with friends to a pub, I don't want to see sports on the TV, I want to be able to hear them and I want us to be comfortable. Unfortunately Irish pubs have a tendancy to offer the opposite.

El Siglo wrote: »

I've nothing against the pub trade, as much as I have against petrol stations. The commonality between the two is that they both purvey a product that is inherently controlled by cartels. Let the 'invisible hand' sort them out, like the rest of us!

Don't get me started on petrol stations, ****ing crooks.