asked the Minister for Finance if he will use his authority in the framing of excise duties so as to encourage Irish brewers to market a beer which is of very low alcoholic content.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Beer Excise Duties.
54.
The structure of the excise duty on beer already provides the sort of financial incentive that the Deputy has in mind.
In view of the introduction of the breathalyser this is a serious matter and I am sure the Minister will agree with me. There are numerous cases of motor accidents occurring in this country as a result of people having taken alcohol. In Scandinavian countries beer at low alcohol content is available. If the Minister provides such incentive, as outlined in his reply, can he explain why it is that the result of his incentive does not produce a marketed commodity by brewers? We are all faced with having to drink either disgusting minerals or else alcoholic beer. If low alcohol content beer were to be provided this would make a practical contribution towards reducing deaths through drunken driving.
The incentive in favour of lighter, weaker beer is very considerable. Brewers cannot, of course, be guided by that alone. They have to take into account the very important factor of taste. I might mention that there is a great deal of misunderstanding about relative prices of beer here and in the United Kingdom. The reason for this is that our beer is of a higher specific gravity and naturally it costs more. In this connection people do not compare like with like.
Would the Minister agree that the availability of a very low alcohol content beer, comparable in taste with existing beers, would be a very desirable thing in this country?
At the risk of drawing down on my head the ire of the pint-drinking members of my constituency I would like to see a much lighter beer on the market.