Plans to liberalise drink sales criticised

CORKS weren’t the only thing “having a pop” at the annual Irish Wine Show 2000 in Dublin yesterday.

Controversy surrounding proposals by the Government to deregulate the off-licence trade ensured the occasion was marked by people who had “a little whine.”

John Shiel, chairman of the show’s organisers, the National Off-Licence Association, claimed any plans which would relax licensing controls would be detrimental to the industry’s efforts to deal with the problem of alcohol abuse.