Irish people pay the price for booze

Irish people pay more for alcohol than any other country in the EU.

Ireland is also among the most expensive countries to buy other consumer goods, while the price we pay for hotels and restaurants is one of the highest in the EU.

Data released by Eurostat, the European statistics office, shows Ireland is the most expensive country in the EU to buy alcohol.

A tipple in Ireland costs 70% more than the EU average price, followed by the UK (65% more than EU average) and Finland (36% more than EU average). The lowest prices in the EU for alcohol and tobacco are in Bulgaria (58% of the EU average price) and Hungary (65%).

Overall Ireland has the fifth highest prices in the EU for consumer goods and services, behind Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and the UK. The lowest consumer prices in the EU are in Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, and Hungary.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages are most expensive in Denmark, Austria, and Finland, and least expensive in Bulgaria, Romania, and Poland. Ireland’s prices are 15% above the EU average for food and non-alcoholic beverages.

Consumer electronics are most expensive in Malta, Cyprus, and Denmark, and least expensive in Bulgaria, Luxembourg, and Hungary. Consumer electronic prices in Ireland are in line with EU average prices.

Cars, motorcycles, and bicycles are most expensive in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Portugal, and least expensive in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Poland, while prices in Ireland are 108% of EU average prices for these goods.

Restaurants and hotels in Ireland cost 127% of the EU average, while they are most expensive in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, and least expensive in Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria.

The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland yesterday called for the reversal of excise duty on alcohol.

In a statement, the DIGI said that successive tax increases on alcohol have directly added 28c to the price of a pint since 2011 and have eroded confidence in the industry.

Earlier, the group pointed to the soaring cost of Irish whiskey and said a bottle was now cheaper at JFK Airport in New York than at Dublin Airport.

“Ireland’s high alcohol tax take has left us in the strange position where Ireland is now one of the most expensive countries in the world to buy Irish whiskey,” the group said.

“Visitors may be shocked when they find they can often purchase two bottles of Irish whiskey at home for the price of one in Ireland.”