A new report commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) has revealed that Ireland's beer taxes are 1,000% higher than those of Germany, Luxembourg and Spain.
This means that the country has the second highest beer excise in the EU as well as the highest for wine.
The report also found that Ireland's alcohol excise duty is 150% higher than 24 of the 28 other EU member states. On top of that, it stated that Ireland's spirits excise is the third highest in the EU after Finland and Sweden, reports The Irish Times.
DIGI chair and managing director of Heineken Ireland Maggie Timoney commented that "[The] report shows definitively that Ireland's excise duties are punitive and completely out of kilter with our European peers. Ultimately, high levels of excise are a tax on a sector that contributes significantly to the Irish economy in terms of jobs and tourism, particularly in rural Ireland."
Timoney went on to assert that "The industry is a high-growth sector, driving investment, innovation and job creation, with nascent distilleries and microbreweries being created which are valuable in terms of exports and tourism. DIGI believes the Government should invest in the drinks and hospitality industry by reducing excise duty, supporting investment and jobs in the domestic economy."
