Minimum pricing for alcohol to be enforced from January 2022

SALLY HARDING

Minimum pricing for alcohol will be brought in from January 2022 under plans signed off on by Cabinet on Tuesday.

Successive Governments have sought to crackdown on cheap alcohol as a public health measure and to reduce alcohol misuse.

With a minimum pricing for alcohol it will mean stores will not be able to choose the lowest price they sell alcohol. There will be a minimum price limit.

The plan is to introduce a minimum price of 10 cent per gram. This would mean the cheapest bottle of wine would cost €7.75 where previously it could cost under €5.

A 700ml bottle of supermarket vodka now costing between €13 and €14 would cost €20.71 under the system. Meanwhile, the cheapest 330ml can of lager will be at least €1.12.

Speaking at the official launch of the policy in Dublin today, Mr Donnelly said there is alcohol-related mortality of more than 1,000 people a year, while international analysis estimated there were 2,700 deaths attributable to alcohol in Ireland in 2016.

He added that it is “not OK and not healthy” that some supermarkets are currently selling alcohol “cheaper than they are selling water".