The drinks industry is calling on the Government to reduce the excise tax on alcohol by 15% over the next two years in a bid to prevent the closure of pubs and off-licences.

Ireland is among the most expensive countries in Europe in terms of buying food and drink.

The Government’s target of creating 50,000 tourism jobs is threatened by the collapse in sterling, according to the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI).

Among the old reliables in Michael Noonan’s budget, consumers of alcohol and motorists escaped unscathed, but cigarette smokers will have to cough up another 50 cent per packet.

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

Fáilte Ireland says number of visitors back at pre-recession level

The drinks industry has hit back at calls from campaigners for a rise in excise duty on alcohol — saying it would hit a struggling sector and not impact on misuse.

Drinks giant Diageo is standing firm on its plans for Arthur’s Day despite growing pressure to abandon the promotion.

An Oireachtas Committee has opposed plans to ban alcohol sponsorship at sporting events.

Alcohol market continues to decline, writes Seán McCárthaigh

New figures from the Revenue Commissioners show that alcohol consumption in Ireland fell again in 2012.

The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) has claimed Diageo’s decision to increase the price of its products will put thousands of jobs at risk across the country’s pubs.

The pub trade is in “crisis” and as many as 600 pubs are likely to close between this year and next, according to a group representing the sector.

Pub sales have fallen by 34% since pre-recession levels, according to the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland.

Exporting beverages is more valuable to the Irish economy than pharmaceuticals, research carried out by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland claims.

The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) has published a new report that reveals Ireland is just outside the top 10 exporters of alcohol in the world.

Pub sales are continuing to fall as more people switch to buying cheaper alcohol in supermarkets and off-licences and drinking at home.

Drink sales in bars and restaurants decreased in 2011, with the total volume of bar sales down nearly 6% on the previous year, a new report has found.

The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) has called on the Government to reduce excise duty on alcohol by 10% to offset the 2% VAT increase said to be introduced in the Budget.

THE drinks industry has issued a robust defence of its role in the sponsorship of major cultural and sporting events, claiming many festivals are heavily reliant on such funding.

IRISH consumers are paying 70% above the EU average for alcohol and tobacco, largely due to higher Government taxes, according to a new report.

DWINDLING alcohol sales and a declining pub spend is placing thousands of jobs at risk in the drinks industry, a study has found.

The Chairman of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI), Kieran Tobin, has welcomed the Government's decision to maintain alcohol excise at current levels in today’s Budget.

A package of stimulus measures to stem the tide of shoppers buying alcohol across the border were unveiled today by alcohol manufacturers and sellers.

THE pub sector is “in meltdown” with sales plunging by more than 14% this year as consumers switch to drinking at home, the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) has claimed.

Mid-year market figures from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland reveal that pub trade is experiencing "effective meltdown", suffering a 14.1% decline in the first seven months of 2010.

A LEADING youth organisation has hit out at the alcohol industry claiming many venues continue to show little regard for laws banning so-called “happy hour” promotions.

MORE than 1,000 pubs could close over the next three years as the downturn sees the Irish drinking almost one-fifth less than they did at the peak of the economic boom.

Some 15,000 jobs have been lost across the drinks sector in Ireland as a result of the economic downturn, industry representatives said today.

The embattled Government was today forced to drop the price of a pint to stem the tide of shoppers flowing into border towns to stock up on drink.

The chairman of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) Kieran Tobin has welcomed today’s Government decision to reduce excise rates by 20% as outlined in the Minister for Finance’s Budget 2010 statement.

A major survey on the drinks industry due to be published today is expected to show that more than 1,500 pubs have closed down in five years.

Up to 9,000 jobs will be lost from pubs and off-licences this year because of plummeting alcohol sales, the drinks industry claimed today.

THE drinks industry representative group is forecasting a 10% decline in alcohol consumption levels for 2008.

Alcohol industry lobby group DIGI (the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland) has said alcohol consumption has fallen fast since the start of this year, a trend that is causing a "crisis" in the industry.

THE drinks industry has reacted angrily to a report that claims people are spending more on alcohol than they do on food.

The drinks industry has responded angrily to a report out today which claims that Irish consumers spend more on alcohol than on food.

One in every €3 spent by Irish people on alcohol goes into the Government’s pocket, the drinks industry claimed today.

The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) has urged its members to be especially vigilant over the St. Patrick’s Day festival this weekend to prevent underage people getting access to alcohol.

THREE-IN-FOUR people believe alcohol misuse is a “serious problem” affecting Irish society that is worse now than it was five years ago.

Punters across Ireland are drinking more than half a billion pints of milk a year, it has emerged.

Ireland’s reputation as a nation of drinkers took a knock today as it was revealed that alcohol consumption has fallen by almost 7% in five years.