Labour: Govt letting 'spectre' of €5 pint become reality
The Labour party has accused the Government of permitting the “ugly spectre” of a €5 pint of beer to become a reality following reports of a 15c increase.
Consumer Affairs spokesman Kathleen Lynch said the Government’s failure to introduce price control measures to the drinks trade had resulted in the price rise.
Reports this morning said the increase was due to a six cent rise in the wholesale prices charged by the multinational drinks firm Diageo, which makes Guinness, Smithwicks, Harp, Carlsberg and Budweiser.
Publicans are expected to pass the increase on to their customers and to add a further increase themselves to maintain their profit margins.
She commented: “The ugly spectre of the €5 pint is now a reality. The decision of major brewer Diageo to increase their prices means that publicans will follow suit.
“A ripple-effect ensues when large breweries announce rising costs, and it is the ordinary consumer who always suffers.
“The average price of a pint in Dublin will now move towards the €5 mark, with the rest of the country bound to catch up in due course.
“This will surely have a detrimental effect on tourism as Ireland’s reputation as one of Europe’s most expensive cities is further reinforced.”
