Soft fines for non-display of prices won’t deter publicans

FINES for failing to display drink prices are not tough enough to deter wealthy publicans, the Director of Consumer Affairs, Carmel Foley, claimed yesterday.

Her comments followed the decision by Limerick District Court to impose fines totalling €381 on the owners of Aubars, Thomas Street, Limerick, for three breaches of the Retail Price (Beverages in Licensed Premises) Display Order.

While Ms Foley welcomed the court’s decision to impose the maximum fine of €127 for each breach she felt it was no deterrent to publicans earning huge profits.

She has asked Enterprise, Trade and Employment Minister Mary Harney to bring them into line with the new Product Prices legislation, which carries a €3,000 penalty per breach.

She said people had the legal right to know the prices they have to pay. They also had the right to compare the prices in different licensed premises.

“This is why the 16 item list must be on display at the entrances to all areas where intoxicating drink is sold,” she pointed out.

A survey of 233 premises conducted by her office in November 2003 found that 158 (68%) were non-compliant. Action by the inspectors brought the rate of compliance up to 84%.

Ms Foley said her objective was to aim for full compliance and, to prove this, had initiated legal action against premises in Dublin, Waterford, Wicklow, Galway, Clare and Tipperary. The cases are expected to come before the courts in the coming months.

“My inspectors will continue to monitor price displays around the country and prosecutions will be initiated where publicans fail to display their price lists,” Ms Foley said.