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IRELAND’S CRAFT BEER industry could be in for a boost if Labour’s new bill gets cross-party support.
Alan Kelly, the former Environment Minister, has proposed removing regulatory barriers for breweries, microbreweries, cider makers and distilleries which prevent them from selling their products on their own premises.
Many distilleries are marketed as tourist attractions which offer guided tours. However, the Labour TD said that much to the frustration of their owners, they cannot offer beer tastings to their visitors and cannot sell their products.
“The ability to capitalise on this potential for ‘craft-beer tourism’ is being hampered by current licensing regulations, which require producers to have a pub licence or an off-licence to sell their produce, made on site, to tourists and visitors,” he said.
For example, can you imagine a situation existing in Italy, France or Spain, where tourists visiting vineyards are prevented from purchasing wine at the end of their tour?
Microbreweries employ 439 full-time workers around Ireland and are located in 23 of the 26 counties. Irish microbreweries will have a projected turnover of €59 million this year.
New measures
Kelly said the new measures would not be a threat to publicans as there are safeguards included in the proposed bill which would restrict the time period in which beer products can be sold. It’s proposed there would be a 6pm cut off.
Breweries would only be allowed to sell their own products on site and fines would be imposed if they were found to be selling alcohol from elsewhere.
“It is an industry that has tourism potential… It will bring more jobs to regional areas,” Kelly said, adding that he had had many representations from brewers calling for the measures to be introduced.
The bill was about enterprise, tourism promotion and dealing with an “anomaly” that needed to be dealt with, he said.
James Ward, founder of Sligo’s Lough Gill Brewery, welcomed Kelly’s initiative as a “brilliant idea”.
The bill would remove “a major regulatory barrier,” for business-owners in the sector, a statement from Ward said.
The Tipperary TD, who as Environment Minister spent much of his time dealing with questions about Irish Water, was asked to name his favourite Irish craft beer as he spoke to reporters yesterday at the Dáil.
Unsurprisingly, he picked a brew from his own constituency – White Gypsy of Templemore.
Cork TD Sean Sherlock, speaking alongside Kelly at Leinster House, went for the Mitchelstown-based Howling Gale Ale.
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Yes, this deserved an article. The whole country will sleep better knowing the Luas is back up and running.
@Liam Byrne: handy to know if you need to use it for work in the morning
@Liam Byrne: In fairness Liam , 90,000 people use the Luas every day , but more importantly they’re Dubs , and they have to carry the Sam around .
Only joking , I see lots of unhappy comments on the Dubcentric reporting during the storm . Infrastructure , country wide needs to be looked at in light of recent events and austerity .
@Liam Byrne: you obviously don’t rely on it
@Liam Byrne: If, like me, you spent one and a half hours getting home after work today, instead of the usual half an hour on the luas, you would certainly be interested.
@Zmeevo Libe: I never said people didn’t want to know.
Well done Luas crew, fair play.
Clap, clap, clap.
Why was it out in the first place?
@Grotmaster:
Their control centre at the Red Cow depot got quite badly damaged in the storm and was knocked out of action, so they shut down the whole system. A bit drastic?…
@Ewan O’Doherty: Probably not.
Well done to Roofer’s at Select Roofing Ltd, for repairing the roof of the control centre and get the Luas up and running.
Read this on the bus home!
The organised pick pockets will be back to work
have your say