The Chair of Galway Vintners has called on the government to urgently reduce the high level of excise duty on draft beer in pubs.
Dunmore based publican , Fianna Fail councillor, Joe Sheridan says Ireland has the second highest rate of excise duty on alcohol in the EU and he says the number of rural pubs closing their doors , reflect s that.
A survey published yesterday by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland found that up to 140 pubs a year are closing down since the Covid pandemic. Joe believes that figure under estimates the reality on the ground in rural Ireland where that figure could be as high as 200 annually.
Joe spoke to Midwest News Editor Teresa O'Malley about the decline nationally in public houses....
