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From The Irish Times[/url:1qxemelc]:

[quote:1qxemelc]The main element of the plan is the introduction of minimum prices for alcohol. The new pricing structure will be calculated on the sale price per gram of alcohol.
The system will be introduced after consultation with the Northern Ireland authorities to ensure that there are no major differences in the price structure on both sides of the border.
The is a question mark over whether a minimum price arrangement will be legal under EU competition law but the Government has decided to press ahead.
...
New regulations for the display of alcohol in supermarkets and other retail outlets will also be introduced. A strict code for separating alcohol from other products will be policed by environmental inspectors.
A new labeling regime for alcohol products with health warnings and a clear statement of the alcohol strength and calorie count also features in the plan.[/quote:1qxemelc]
Health warnings but no ingredients listings? <!-- s:roll: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_rolleyes.gif" alt="" title="Rolling Eyes" /><!-- s:roll: -->

The vintners get their "lid levy" through the back door.

Hopefully it will stop the "taxpayer subsidy" of the below cost sales. But we know this "law" will be abused by successive budgets.

I think it's ridiculous. All they had to do was bring back the groceries order that they stupidly took away. Even if it was only on alcohol sales. Now it will likely be yet another form of taxation that as Andrew says, can be abused in other budgets.

There is no new tax in any of this. It's a minimum price per gram of alcohol, so retailers will actually be the ones charging the extra (or not discounting as much, depending on the way you look at it). That increases the state's total VAT take, but there isn't actually any extra direct tax on alcohol.

The warning labels, etc. bother me too. It's just like cigarettes. Look at how smokers are treated now, that's how the health lobby want us to be treated in the future.

&amp;quot;sbillings&amp;quot;:39g93sgk wrote: There is no new tax in any of this. It's a minimum price per gram of alcohol, so retailers will actually be the ones charging the extra (or not discounting as much, depending on the way you look at it). That increases the state's total VAT take, but there isn't actually any extra direct tax on alcohol.
[/quote:39g93sgk]

Ah, that sheds a new light on it but I still think just bringing back the groceries order or specifically, a ban on below cost alcohol selling would have been better.

I wonder will this increase the price of higher alcohol beverages too? I'm thinking beer yes but spirits too? Or will it be simply aimed at the cheap crap that goes for about a euro.

I do like the idea of segregating alcohol from groceries in supermarkets. Dunnes does this in a lot of their stores.