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Negative growth is still growth, right?

&amp;quot;TheBeerNut&amp;quot;:3pbqbx9s wrote: Negative growth is still growth, right?[/quote:3pbqbx9s]Ask your stock broker! <!-- s:P --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt="" title="Razz" /><!-- s:P -->

He doesn't seem to be answering his phone these days.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2...6/1224244074534.html">www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/fro ... 74534.html

[quote:iidmjcki]The regulations will allow for the prohibition of promotions aimed at selling alcohol at a reduced price, or free of charge, on the purchase of any quantity of alcohol or other product. They also allow for the prohibition of events or activities which are “intended or likely to encourage excessive consumption of alcohol”.[/quote:iidmjcki]These clauses were already in the 2008 act and I'd thought they had already been mostly activated. No more Clubcard points with your beer <!-- s:( --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt="" title="Sad" /><!-- s:( -->

Weird statement on below-cost selling there. According to the Advisory Group, the problem was never about competition law, but about the impossibility of determining what "cost price" is for the purpose of any investigation into selling below it.

It's all just a smoke screen. They don't actually expect the laws themselves to change much. The idea is to get the notion into the public consciousness that there is a problem and the government is dealing with it.

The problem is cheap alcohol so the solution is to raise the price. Talk about it now so people don't get too upset when they load on the duty in the budget.

It's about tax revenue but I think they are actually being very stupid, even from a revenue point of view, as more tax on alcohol will simply increase the number of cross border trips and people will not restrict themselves to buying alcohol when they are there.

It's time to move up north, I think. The economy there is set for a boom time thanks to Fianna Fáil.