Kieran Tobin of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland has called on the Government not to increase alcohol taxes in the Budget.
He said higher tax would do nothing to address alcohol misuse and would serve only to increase the rate of job losses and drive cross-border buying. Mr Tobin said alcohol taxes were unfair and regressive.
Economist Tony Foley of DCU, author of a report on the drinks market's performance in 2008, said it was a miracle that off-licences in border areas were surviving at all.
Mr Foley said the pub trade accounted for 90% of jobs in the drinks sector and would be responsible for the bulk of job losses. He said that alcohol purchase and consumption levels were now back to where they were in 1997 or 1998.
Mr Foley's report said the volume of alcohol consumption fell by almost 6% last year compared with 2007, with the decline accelerating in the second half of the year. The volume of cider sold was down 11%, spirits fell 7.7%, beer by 5% and wine 4%.
Mr Tobin said that, as a result, 9,000 jobs would go in the drinks industry this year.
