asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce, if he will state whether the contract for the supply of alcoholic drinks and minerals to the Rineanna Airport Restaurant was advertised for public competition; if he will state the prices charged at the restaurant to passengers for whiskey, the various wines, liqueurs, stout and minerals, and if he will say whether it is a fact that passengers have been charged up to 35/- per ten-glass bottle for whiskey, and that on occasions the charges made for other drinks have been considerably above the normal level of prices prevailing in the trade.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Liquor Charges at Rineanna.
All catering services at Rineanna are managed under contract by a catering comptroller. The comptroller is solely responsible for the purchase of alcoholic drink, minerals and other consumable goods required for the catering services and to decide whether supplies should be obtained by him by contract or otherwise.
A statement of the prices charged in the restaurant at Rineanna for whiskey and other drinks will be sent to the Deputy.
It is not the practice to sell whiskey by bottle at the airport, but in the exceptional cases in which a bottle of Irish whiskey is sold to a passenger the price charged is £1 3s. 4d. per bottle.
The prices charged to passengers for meals and drinks compare with those ruling at first-class hotels.