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Bottles of alcohol via Shutterstock

Independent off-licence sector "in danger of dying out"

That is according to the National Off-Licence Association, which is concerned about the impact Budget 2014 could have on off-licences.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS been called upon to bring in the mooted alcohol misuse strategy soon – and not delay it further.

That is according to the National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA), whose chairperson, Evelyn Jones, told TheJournal.ie that the sector is “on its knees” and in danger of dying out.

Last week, Primary Care Minister Alex White said that the Cabinet is “close to reaching agreement” on the strategy, which would include a ban on alcohol ads before the 9pm watershed, and minimum pricing.

Independent off-licences

Jones expressed her sadness over the closure of 11 independent off-licences in Dublin, Meath and Kildare, as well as the number of jobs lost in the past eight months.

She said that at least one business “has gone to the wall each month and over 60 jobs have been lost in a relatively short period of time”.

Describing the off-licence sector as “on its knees”, she said that “within a few years [it] will have died out completely”.

NoffLA believes that large multiple retailers “use alcohol as a footfall driver and sell alcohol in an extremely irresponsible manner” and that the government needs to introduce measures to eradicate this practice.

NOffLA expects a further five businesses to close by the end of December 2013 and a further 20-25 are expected to close in 2014.

Independent off-licences held 21.8 per cent of the market share in 2012 but it is estimated that they will hold only 16 per cent market share in 2014, said NoffLA.

Budget 2014

Jones said that independent retailers have had to struggle with the excise increases brought about by Budget 2013. The sector is appealing for no such increases in Budget 2014.

She said that any further increase “will surely sound the death-knell for our sector”.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Jones said that this is occurring against a “backdrop of negative press that alcohol has been getting recently” and that NoffLA is asking the government to act on this.

This includes bringing in the promised alcohol misuse strategy, as it “would be a real help to the industry”.

Jones said that the group have been appealing to Finance Minister Michael Noonan not to increase excise on alcohol in Budget 2014. She said they have engaged with the Department of Finance on a ministerial and official level.

“All our members are very anxious about the budget as are all our wholesalers,” she said.

“We just need some action,” she said of the strategy.

The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) has also expressed its concern about the budget, reiterating its call for the Government to reverse the excise increase.

It also wants it to retain the 9 per cent VAT rate for the hospitality sector and to set up a task force to address the “enormous challenges” facing small Irish drinks businesses.

The group also said it believes the Government “has reached a situation of diminishing marginal returns on alcohol taxation, where any increases in rates in the forthcoming Budget will not deliver the expected yields”.

Read: More off-licences expected to close if government refuses to reduce excise duty>

Read: Cabinet close to agreement on alcohol strategy, but sponsorship ban will be deferred>

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59 Comments
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    Mute CC
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:20 PM

    Who cares? Serves him right

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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:50 PM

    @CC: Should he really have had to resign over this though. Workplace affairs happen everywhere so should they all resign or be sacked

    161
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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:55 PM

    @Shaun Gallagher: National security, he has access to sensitive information and as they say, loose lips sink ships. If he was under the influence of alcohol he could have spilled the beans on various issues that are meant to remain confidential. He did the right thing by resigning so quickly which is the only redeeming factor in his favour.

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    Mute bmul
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:55 PM

    @Shaun Gallagher: it wasn’t the affair is was breaking covid rules when lecturing others

    135
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    Mute CC
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:58 PM

    @Shaun Gallagher: yes

    29
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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:19 PM

    @bmul: Fair enough.

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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:28 PM

    @Shaun Gallagher: It was the kiss of death. And it’s what the Brexiteer deserved for his pompous attitude to serve.

    47
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    Mute Breda Kelly
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:32 PM

    @Shaun Gallagher: A lot more involved than this.

    30
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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Jun 27th 2021, 4:12 PM

    @bmul: Somewhat like “Golfgate” but not quite as bad as it was only one politician.

    32
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    Mute Watchful Axe
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    Jun 27th 2021, 6:06 PM

    @Frank Cauldhame: Yeah, golfgate was like a stomp down the red carpet flipping the bird with both hands at each side. F u, peasants. This was a fumble in the closet, perfect story for the red top rags over there though.

    31
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    Mute doniekel
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    Jun 27th 2021, 6:21 PM

    @Joe Johnson: he is a remainer funny enough

    10
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    Mute Mickety Dee
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    Jun 27th 2021, 7:58 PM

    @CC: Surely it’s a way bigger story that someone has access to cctv footage of the offices of senior members of the UK cabinet.

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    Mute saoirse janneau
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    Jun 27th 2021, 8:20 PM

    @Mickety Dee: exactly.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jun 27th 2021, 8:30 PM

    @Frank Cauldhame: we have a fu(King bar in the Dáil. Not disagreeing with you by the way it’s just always amusing to point that out

    5
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    Mute Dave Allman
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    Jun 28th 2021, 11:52 AM

    @Frank Cauldhame: I do agree with you but using the same logic he should resign for having a wife. He’s more likely to get drunk with her and tell her secrets! Or he used to be

    1
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    Mute Ger
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:56 PM

    Dominic Cummings hiding in the ceiling with his iPhone

    237
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    Mute Mr T
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    Jun 27th 2021, 4:57 PM

    Feel awfully sorry for HandCock’s wife and kids and for Coladangelo’s husband and kids. Having this stuff go public and their names in the press is difficult & stressful.

    147
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    Mute Daniel Bohan
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:30 PM

    It’s obviously morally repugnant, and contrary to all Covid guidance. But angles suggest there was a camera installed in a smoke alarm. The security issue is huge. Is this from Britain or a foreign power? If foreign, then it’s terrifying.

    168
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    Mute Kevin Burke
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:34 PM

    @Daniel Bohan: why terrifying from an Irish perspective? If it is the work of one of any number of foreign powers it’s par for course really. It’s not as if Britain hasn’t a track record in this department.

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    Mute Kevin Burke
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:36 PM
    14
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    Mute Daniel Bohan
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:35 PM

    @Kevin Burke: Oh sorry. Things are only terrifying in Ireland? In that case, check your local handball alley…Insular people like you should check tea mornings in the local bridge club!

    14
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    Mute Declan Joseph Deasy
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    Jun 27th 2021, 4:02 PM

    @Kevin Burke: hope someone is checking our offices

    2
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    Mute Kevin Burke
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    Jun 28th 2021, 3:26 AM

    @Daniel Bohan: you missed my point completely, but ok.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jun 28th 2021, 7:45 AM

    @Kevin Burke: you missed his point too.

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    Mute Mark Doyle
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    Jun 27th 2021, 5:24 PM

    He knowingly sent elderly covid patients from hospital into care homes. He was also found guilty of illegally awarding PPE contracts to chocolate factories while healthcare staff died from a lack of PPE. Tens of thousands died because of his actions, but he resigns for kissing an aide? Doesn’t make sense.

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    Mute DangerousDave
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    Jun 28th 2021, 12:41 AM

    @Mark Doyle: It does make sense chief, he appointment her to a role which hadn’t previously existed (they were friends in college) his dirty plan resulted in him falunting his own guidelines while simultaneously cheating on his wife. He was already in an ominous position to say the least after Dominic Cummings told us all that Boris believes he’s incompetent. He had to go, not that I’m a fan of Leo.

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jun 27th 2021, 4:18 PM

    Varadkar might be willing to help out…A dab hand at leaks is our Leo.

    64
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    Mute Michéal Ó Tuama
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:34 PM

    Tis a lovely day for a spot of schadenfreude

    59
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    Mute Kerry Evans
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    Jun 27th 2021, 6:50 PM

    @Michéal Ó Tuama:
    10/10

    11
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    Mute Theportobello
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:35 PM

    There is no English government. Yes, health is devolved to the nations but it’s still the department of Health for the U.K. It’s PA copy – you only have to write the headline – how do you manage to get it so wrong?

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    Mute Watchful Axe
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    Jun 27th 2021, 6:15 PM

    @Theportobello: Most English consider the Welsh & Scottish as effectively English anyway, lol. And the Welsh/Scots consider Westminster as English. I wouldn’t be so fussed about it.

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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:50 PM

    Definitely nothing to do with a balding Scot who had a a recent falling out with n. 10 then? The lad would make our very own leakmeister extraordinaire look like an amateur in comparison.

    38
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    Mute Mark Murphy
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:47 PM

    He had good grip in that lady’s back door haha bye bye Hancock Hahaha

    43
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    Mute Stephen Walsh
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:58 PM

    There is no such thing as a Government of England, or Health Minister of England etc. Pretty poor journalism. Understandable perhaps on an American website, but they’re our next door neighbours, the Journal’s understanding of their constitutional structure should be better than this.

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    Mute Theportobello
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    Jun 27th 2021, 6:16 PM

    @Stephen Walsh: whoever is writing these is taking PA copy and switching British for English. It’s incorrect and infuriating. Is there no actual editor looking at this stuff?

    18
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:02 PM

    Someone with a grudge I suspect:)

    22
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    Mute Margaret Kane
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:31 PM

    Dirty sod

    54
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    Mute James McErlain
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:19 PM

    @Margaret Kane: are you jealous?

    29
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    Mute Joe ryan
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:35 PM

    The video looked a little staged, camera was moving slightly, unusual for CCTV.

    16
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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Jun 27th 2021, 7:14 PM

    @Joe ryan: somebody using a phone to grab footage from a screen.

    10
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    Mute Maria Clery-Breen
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:36 PM

    Ask Carrie

    14
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    Mute OConnelj
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:50 PM

    @Maria Clery-Breen: I’d be asking Gina

    12
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    Mute pat seery
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:55 PM

    The K G B LEAKED IT

    12
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    Mute trebloc01
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:55 PM

    It could have been worse, hah he been picking his nose

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    Mute Jacqueline berry
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    Jun 27th 2021, 5:33 PM

    They should be investigating something else.

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    Mute Patrick Khan
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    Jun 27th 2021, 8:47 PM

    Our CMO begged the government to cover up the cervical cancer scandel and now lool at him still ruinong careere and livelihoods and gets awards. Pathetic country we live in

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    Mute Brian Farrell
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    Jun 27th 2021, 6:31 PM

    #10.

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