Irish customers are paying the second-highest rate of excise tax on alcohol in Europe.

Consumers fond of their wine here are paying the highest excise tax among 27 countries in Europe and the UK, behind only Finland. We are paying the second highest on beer behind Finland and the third highest on spirits, trailing Finland and Sweden.

The tax on a pint of beer is 55 cent, in comparison to 21 EU countries who have a beer excise per pint of less than 20 cent. In Germany, it is just five cent.

The Government charges 80 cent tax on a glass of wine in Ireland while in France it is one cent. In Spain, the excise tax on a bottle of whiskey is €2.69, in Ireland – where it is produced in an Irish distillery – the excise tax rate is €11.92.

Councillor Joe Sheridan – the chair of County Galway Vintners [VFI], representing over 400 businesses across the county – said he had been contacted by around 30 publicans this week who were devastated by their soaring energy bills.

“Bills have gone up three-fold. The bill in my own pub in Dunmore has gone from €800 a month to €1,950 and I’d be very frugal with electricity. Members are also getting big increases for insurance, going from €3,000 to 6,000 – even €9,000 in some cases without any injury claims,” he explained.

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