The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland, has rejected suggestions that drinks groups should make a donation to hospitals towards the cost of treating patients with alcohol related illnesses.
“We sell a product in an entirely responsible manner. It is properly labelled and only sold to people of legal drinking age.
“The idea that we would be penalised for doing the job we do legally and responsibly is very unfair,” said Peter O’ Brien (pictured), DIGI Chairman.
He was speaking at the launch of a new report showing that per capita consumption if alcohol is 14.4% below what it was in 2007 and the numbers of full time employees in bars have fallen by a quarter since 2008.
There are now nearly 1,000 fewer pubs than in 2007 after they suffered a drop of one third in sales, the report found.
O'Brien, who also called on the Government to reverse last year's excise increase in alcohol, was making the comments after SpunOut.ie's had asked Arthur's Day headline acts to donate their fees to charities working with people suffering from alcohol related harm.
