Summary: This is the coverage of <a href="http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/get-in-touch-with-the-guinness-book-of-records-judge-tells-motorist-with-321-convictions-34339866.html" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Patrick Durcan’s comments about Martin McNamara and his 321 previous convictions</a> at Killaloe District Court on 5 January.<br> <a href="https://twitter.com/conorcullen1" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Conor Cullen</a> is the head of communications and advocacy for <a href="http://alcoholireland.ie/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Alcohol Action Ireland</a>.<br> In the discussion we talked about the report recommending a minimum price for alcohol, proposed to be €1.00 per unit of alcohol – a unit is 10ml of pure alcohol. This would make the minimum price for a standard bottle of spirits (700ml, 40% alcohol) to be €28.00; a 500ml can of 5% beer would have a minimum price of €2.50.<br> The <a href="http://michaelpidgeon.com/manifestos/docs/fg/Fine%20Gael%20GE%202011.pdf" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">2011 Fine Gael manifesto</a> (p26) said<br> Supporting Irish Pubs: Fine Gael recognises the importance of the Irish pub for tourism, rural jobs and as a social outlet in communities across the country. We will support the local pub by banning the practice of below cost selling on alcohol, particularly by large supermarkets and the impact this has had on alcohol consumption and the viability of pubs.<br> This seems like a clear commitment to protectionism, and the policy proposal is entirely consistent with that commitment, albeit dressed up as a public health measure.<br> <a href="https://www.shef.ac.uk/scharr/sections/ph/research/alpol/newsandactivities/qanda_ecruling_dec2015" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">This is a Q&A</a> from the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group on their study of minimum pricing, and this is the 2012 <a href="http://health.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Steering_Group_Report_NSMS.pdf" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy</a>. Neither document discusses secondary effects, that is they limit themselves to considering how people would react to the proposed regulation – they don’t consider the reaction to those reactions, in particular they don’t consider the effects of the vastly increased profit margins, and the non-price mechanisms that alcohol sellers could use to increase sales.<br> Prices in a typical supermarket in Italy. Gordon’s Gin, €9.99, Absolut Vodka €12.70, J&B Whiskey €12.49. All of these would have a minimum price of €28.00 under the proposals. The weaker Bailey’s, priced here at €12.79 would have a minimum legal price of €11.70.<br>
