The government’s controversial Public Health Alcohol Bill is back on the agenda this week as strong advocates Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Health Simon Harris seek to push it over the line.
The bill contains several provisions that have drawn both praise and criticism from different sectors of society, with some arguing that the bill’s restrictions on how alcohol can be displayed in stores (as well as minimum pricing) will cause job losses in local pubs and off-licenses.
Proponents of the bill argue that the country will reap long-term health benefits as a result of the decreasing demand for alcohol that advocates hope will follow the bill.
There is widespread curiosity around how minimum pricing will affect everyone’s booze, and Simon Harris discussed this while speaking the Seanad tonight. Former government minister Michael McDowell asked Harris how much a customer could expect to pay for an individual can of Dutch Gold under new minimum pricing, and the Minister put the figure at €1.58. Drinkers currently typically pay about €1.30 for a single can.
Simon Harris tells #seanad that a can of Dutch Gold will cost €1.58 under new laws on minimum pricing
— Hugh O'Connell (@oconnellhugh) November 8, 2017
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