Madam, - I suspect that most people would be startled if asked to pay €100 for a litre bottle of standard brand whiskey, gin or vodka, yet that is the rate being charged for these spirits in Dublin bars. It is more than three times the prices being charged in off-licences.
The Consumer Association has no function in this matter because prices are not controlled by law. The recommendation that one should "shop around" is useless because prices are all much the same. The positions of the Director of Consumer Affairs and of the Competition Authority are unclear.
Under these circumstances, deregulation of the industry, the way deregulation of taxis took place, seems the best course of action. Existing licence-holders will not like it, but if it is the only way to eliminate over-pricing then it should be done. - Yours, etc.,
TOMAS O'BEIRNE, Ilex House, Sussex Road, Dublin 4.