Why a top US senator and even airports objected to the new drink Bill
THE Government’s alcohol legislation plans faced intense lobbying from a senior US senator, airport bosses, distilleries a racecourse and shop owners around the country.
The plan, part of which would see shops having to use ‘booze curtains’ to shield alcohol from public view, is also the subject of a turf war between off-licences and pubs on one side and retail outlets on the other, documents obtained under Freedom of Information reveal. The most controversial proposal, for ‘booze curtains’, was the subject of the largest volume of representations.
‘This will impact on employee numbers’
One typical letter, forwarded by Taoiseach Enda Kenny to the Department of Health, spelled out how a local store felt it would cause job losses.
Mr Kenny wrote: ‘He feels this will impact on his employee numbers.’ But some in the drinks industry said the effects were being exaggerated.
The Vintner’s Federation said there were ‘few, if indeed any, small shops’ that were not part of a larger chain that enjoyed ‘significant buying power’.
The National Off-Licence Association said reports that it would cost between €5,000 and €50,000 to install ‘booze curtains’ were exaggerated.
One of the biggest concerns for the department appears to have been opposition to plans for restrictions on where alcohol could be advertised.
The legislation was looking for a complete ban on drinkrelated adverts within 200 metres of schools, early-years services and playgrounds. The Outdoor Media Association, which represents a group of outdoor advertisers, wrote that it had taken legal advice on the ban on alcohol advertising near children but would prefer to work with the department on a better solution. It is understood that this is one of the areas of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill that is being examined by the Attorney General.
The Government also came under pressure from airports because of the impact that new labelling requirements would have on duty-free. The legislation would mean each bottle of spirits would have to have Irish-compliant labelling.
However, the duty-free areas stocked hundreds of whiskies, which sold only a small amount, and distilleries would ‘simply pull their supply’. Several distilleries also objected to mandatory labelling. A letter forwarded by Mr Kenny to the department said: ‘Tourists looking at a bottle of Irish whiskey and other spirits will see on a bottle, and only on a bottle of Irish product, that it causes cancer and other diseases.’
US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wrote to the Irish Ambassador, Anne Anderson, on behalf of his constituents in Kentucky who worked for Beam Suntory, a giant bourbon distillery.
He wrote: ‘They fear such a proposal could negatively impact Kentucky jobs.’ An Irish whiskey magazine wondered how it could comply with a new rule only allowing for 20% of advertising to be alcohol-related. Listowel Racecourse wrote to Minister Jimmy Deenihan, saying it hoped the laws would not be ‘punitive’ when seeking sponsorship deals.
The department said the section on display of alcohol was designed with a range of options in mind and that they also believed it was justified to ban advertising from certain locations, where children are obliged to go or frequent.
A statement said that the labelling requirements would apply to all retailers without any exemptions for airports or for duty free.
Distilleries ‘would pull their supply’