‘Drink cheaper than sweets’: Bottles of whiskey for €10 in Tipperary supermarkets ‘absolutely disgraceful’

The “serious issue” of alcohol being sold at a low price in County Tipperary was raised at the December meeting of Tipperary County Council in Clonmel on Monday.

Thurles councillor Jim Ryan said that it's "outstanding" that bottles of whiskey can be bought for €10 in supermarkets, leading to councillors voicing their concerns on the county's drink and drug culture.

Cllr Ryan said it’s “absolutely disgraceful” that alcohol is being sold at a loss, with “the seller making a profit on the VAT at the expense of the taxpayer”.

Read more: Tipperary ‘party drug’ cocaine ‘destroying families’

Cllr Seamus Morris said pubs are being “cleaned out and destroyed” by the sale of cheap alcohol. He said “lots of pubs” will close down in the near future, citing “pre-drinking” as a “massive problem”. Cllr Morris said it’s “frightening” the amount of alcohol being consumed at home, stating that there “used to be some control drinking in the pub”.

Cllr David Doran said “alcohol is cheaper than sweets and soft minerals”. He recalled attending a recent family event in County Tipperary, witnessing teenagers “out of their minds with drink”. Cllr Doran added: “It’s abuse of our teenagers by multinationals using strong drink as a loss leader.”

Mayor of the Clonmel Borough District Cllr Richie Molloy said the sale of cheap alcohol in supermarkets is a “huge problem”, calling for more alternatives for young people to steer them away from drink.

Contributing to the debate on drinking at home instead of in the pub, Cllr Roger Kennedy highlighted that it’s “impossible to get taxis from our villages”. He said a proposal has been put forward where the National Transport Authority will have to insist on making sure that Tipperary’s towns and villages are covered every night of the week.

Clonmel councillor Catherine Carey said the county’s drink and drug culture is a “huge, terrible issue”. She said it’s “embarrassing” watching drink-fuelled people spill onto the streets late at night, raising concerns for young women flagging down cars that they think are taxis because of Clonmel's lack of a taxi rank. 

A report of Tipperary’s drug scourge and calls for a national campaign to highlight the issue to follow.