Speaking today (23 August) about the Central Statistics Office (CSO) National Income and Expenditure Report for 2012, Evelyn Jones, Chairperson of the National Off-Licence Association said, “The spend on alcohol may have  increased but this has been confined to supermarkets where people are able  to purchase alcohol as if it were an ordinary  grocery product, which clearly it is not.

“In Ireland, there are no legal requirements regarding where alcohol is located within a supermarket which means it can be placed beside such thing as nappies, children’s products and hardware. It is clear to see that the purchase of alcohol is not a conscious decision and this enables the consumer to subconsciously bury their alcohol spend in their grocery budget.

“The only way to rectify this problem is to enact Section 9 of the Intoxicating liquor Act which would require supermarkets to structurally separate alcohol from other non-alcoholic products. This area should have a separate till and be manned by a trained staff member and in effect, offer the same tight controls as an Independent off-licence. Individuals would have to make a conscious decision to enter this area to purchase alcohol. It would also mean that children aren’t being confronted with alcohol every time they enter a supermarket”, said Ms Jones.