Take it handy with Jameson

These changes are contained in the Government’s proposed Sale of Alcohol Bill and although the LVA supports many of the measures outlined in the legislation, they are concerned the change to the ‘extinguishment requirement’ will see the number of pubs in Ireland soar over the coming years. The licensing regime exists to provide for regulatory control on the sale of alcohol, not to protect publicans from competition. With 6,800 pub licences in the Republic of Ireland there is a pub for every 738 people in this country, compared with one pub for every 1,415 people in the UK’s liberalised market. On top of this, in this country there are another 2,250 wine on-licences (restaurants), 514 special restaurant licences, over 1,000 hotel licences and 3,450 off-licences.

According to the LVA, approximately 1,800 pubs have closed their doors in the Republic of Ireland since 2005, an indication that the country is already “overpubbed”.

Jameson has unveiled a new responsible drinking advert as part of its commitment to tackling overconsumption and alcohol misuse. “Take It Handy” promotes responsible drinking by encouraging people towards more mindful, moderate consumption and reinforces the message that whether you measure, sip, or skip, noone should feel awkward for doing so. Co-written by and starring comedian Aisling Bea, the advert showcases a number of typical social drinking scenarios that consumers can find themselves in when they choose to moderate or skip a drink. Bringing to light the perceived societal pressures that lead to overconsumption, it inspires drinkers to forget the feeling of FOMO and embrace moderation, measurement or abstinence.

Up to now the ‘extinguishment requirement’ has meant that anyone who wishes to open a new pub or off-licence must first purchase a licence from an existing outlet. Those licences could then be transferred to another location in any part of the country. For small pubs in more rural locations, this was one of the few measures that ensured their pubs retained value and were an asset to their livelihoods. However the LVA has warned that if the government’s plan to scrap this process is adopted, they will effectively be wiping out the value of thousands of rural pubs overnight. “The government has claimed that this liberalisation is being adopted in order to ensure there are more pubs in rural areas. That’s not what is going to happen. Rural pubs are closing because they don’t have a market. Their customer base is vanishing. New pubs aren’t going to appear in locations that aren’t commercially viable. Any new licences will be for areas where there is a market and that mostly means the urban parts of the country,” said Donall O’Keeffe, Chief Executive of the LVA.