Ireland's drinks industry writes off more than €60m in beer and food

In Dublin, each 'false start' has cost pubs up to €7 million in wasted beer stock

DIGI Chair Liam Reid said Dublin publicans, in particular, have been caught in the government’s "costly and unpredictable stop-start lockdown strategy."

More than €60 million worth of stock has been written off by drinks and hospitality businesses as a result of the Government’s ‘stop-start’ approach to reopening the sector so far, according to the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI).

This has primarily affected so-called 'wet pubs' who on three occasions were given potential opening dates that were changed at short notice. Each of these "false starts" has cost the industry up to €20 million in terms of beer and food stock, DIGI said.