• NEW REPORT LAUNCHED TODAY FINDS THAT 92,000 JOBS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DRINKS INDUSTRY IN IRELAND
• DETAILS OF A SERIES OF ROLLING REGIONAL MEDIA EVENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY OVER THE COMING WEEKS ANNOUNCED
• INDUSTRY-WIDE PLEDGE IDENTIFIES NECESSARY STEPS THAT MUST BE TAKEN TO ADDRESS ALCOHOL MISUSE

Monday 28th April 2014: The drinks industry today launched a major national campaign entitled ‘Support Your Local…’ The campaign is designed to highlight the significant financial and social contribution made by the Irish drinks industry, including:

• Employing 94,000 people in every corner of Ireland
• Buying €1.1 billion worth of Irish inputs, and
• Offering a unique hospitality experience, renowned internationally, in the pubs of Ireland

A new report by Tony Foley from the DCU Business School: ‘Drinks Related Employment in Dail Constituencies’ was presented, and details of a series of regional ‘Support Your Local…’ events were announced.

Bart Storan, Campaign Manager, ‘Support Your Local…’ said at the launch:

“This is an exceptional industry, with fantastic stories full of rich detail to tell. So when we say ‘Support Your Local’, we are taking about supporting your local farmer; supporting your local distillery; supporting your local pub, restaurant, hotel or independent off-license; and supporting your local community. The campaign will be bringing the message about the positive role that the industry plays in Ireland around the country. We will be asking people to support an industry that is a proud part of our history – but which is also an exciting part of our future. Events will be held in the run up to the local and European elections in a number of constituencies and www.SupportYourLocal.ie will act as the online focal point of the campaign.”

Tony Foley, Economist, DCU Business School said:

“The national economic impact of the drinks industry is substantial. There are 8,298 public houses and other bars and almost 1,700 full off-licences. In addition to the large brewers and distillers there are 25 craft or micro-breweries and several new small distilleries are being developed. Nationally, the drinks industry directly provides 63,000 full or part-time jobs with a wages bill of €885m and purchases over €1 billion of Irish produced agricultural, other materials and services inputs. These purchases support about 11,600 jobs. The direct and indirect employment total of 74,600 supports an additional 17,500 jobs. Overall, the drinks industry supports over 92,000 jobs.”

Also speaking at the launch of ‘Support Your Local…’ was

Marie Byrne, Dublin Whiskey Company:

“The success of Irish Whiskey is one that we can all be proud of, and one that needs support. If we are to ensure that companies such as our craft distillery, namely the Dublin Whiskey Company - are to thrive into the future, we need the support of  government, key stakeholders and the wider industry. Ireland has a huge opportunity to promote Irish whiskey on a global scale – so we need everyone to support their local in order to make it happen. I would encourage everyone to ‘Support Your Local…’”

Vincent Flannery, Proprietor, The Bard’s Den, Letterfrack, Co. Galway:

“The Irish pub offers a unique hospitality experience that is renowned the world over. When tourists come to Ireland they want to go to an Irish pub, they want to enjoy a pint in the welcome surrounds of locals. The pub is the hub of the local town, it is the heart of the local community. If we are going to preserve that, we need to support our locals, which is why I am delighted to lend my support to this campaign to call on people to ‘Support Your Local…’”

Eugene Ryan, Barley Farmer, Stradbally, Co Laois:

“Our family farm has been providing barley to the drinks industry for three generations. So when people are asked to support your local, they are being asked to support local farmers like me. They are being asked to ensure that we will have a viable farming offer to pass to the next generation, to my children, and to continue providing the highest quality raw materials to make quality Irish products.”

An industry-wide pledge clarifying the members’ position on the necessary steps that must be taken in order to address alcohol misuse was issued at the event. It stated that the signatories have sought to work with government in order to play an appropriate role in addressing issues pertaining to the misuse of alcohol in this country, and called on government to address alcohol misuse by:

• Addressing the sale of cheap alcohol
• Introducing a statutory ban on price-based advertising
• Introducing statutory codes to regulate the merchandising of alcohol

The ‘Support Your Local…’ campaign is supported and funded by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland. All members of that group – including suppliers, pubs, restaurants, hotels and independent off-licenses are enthusiastically asking people to recognise the massive contribution that the industry makes to local communities all over Ireland, and are calling on everyone to ‘Support Your Local…’

The press launch of ‘Support Your Local…’ was held in Buswells Hotel at 11am on Monday 28th April. A campaign launch party was held that evening in Vintage Cocktail Club for media and stakeholder groups.