The deferral of plans to require health labelling on alcoholic drinks is very disappointing, the chairperson of Alcohol Action Ireland has said.
The labels, which were due to come in to effect next year, are set to be pushed back to 2029.
Public health officials have previously spoken in favour of the labelling, saying that it would reduce alcohol use and increase awareness of the associated risks.
Professor Frank Murray, who is also a gastroenterologist, described alcohol as "a very harmful product", adding that it causes "many risks to people's health as well as other aspects of their lives".
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said the proposed labels on alcohol products would see nutritional information on the products and would also provide health warnings around cancer, the risk of liver disease and the fact that there is no safe limit of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
"The reason this is so important is because people don't know those risks," he said.
He cited a recent Health Service Executive survey that found that less than four in ten people understand that there is a risk of cancer associated with alcohol consumption.
"They're the only products you can buy in the food and beverage sector that don't have basic nutrition information," he said.
He added: "Unfortunately, the risk of alcohol consumption in terms of cancer, for instance, begins at very low levels of alcohol consumption, particularly breast cancer.
"Again, most people don't know that I'm afraid."
Prof Murray said most people drink way above the low-risk alcohol limits, adding that even those low-risk limits in Ireland are outdated and far too high.
"But if we drank to those low-risk limits, we would drink approximately one-third less alcohol than we consume currently," he said.
"So people don't, I would argue, know what the risks are," he added.
He said the labels "are to do with giving information to citizens and to consumers, and surveys indicated that "these labels were considered to be relevant and acceptable".
Prof Murray said he thinks the industry "is driving the agenda".
The cost of labels, he said, is very small, adding putting "small labels on bottles is a tiny cost to a highly, highly profitable industry".
