The liberalisation of the liquor licensing system could be accompanied by measures which would address the problems of teenage drinking, according to the Consumers' Association of Ireland.
Mr Dermott Jewell, the CAI chief executive, said a strict application process, including the suitability of premises and staff and the qualifications of the applicant, would be a crucial element in addressing the problems identified by the Minister for Health.
Mr Martin said last week that making alcohol more easily available through deregulation would lead to an escalation of under-age drinking.
The CAI sees liberalisation, rather than total deregulation, as the key to lower prices through increased competition.
The Minister of State, Mr Tom Kitt, who has been campaigning strongly on the drinks' price issue, said it was regrettable that Mr Martin was confusing liberalisation with teenage drinking problems.
Consumers face another increase when breweries put up their prices, next month, Mr Jewell said. Guinness has signalled that it will increase the price of the pint by 2.8p on March 15th. The increase will apply across Guinness's range of products.
The price of the pint to consumers has increased by 10-15p since the price freeze was lifted last month, Mr Jewell said; when breweries put up prices, publicans invariably add an increase as well.
The chief executive of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, Mr Tadhg O'Sullivan, said: "What appears to have escaped the media's attention and those who constantly rant about deregulation, price fixing and profitable pubs is that over 60 per cent of rural pubs have a gross turnover of less than £150,000 per annum. When wages and other costs and overheads are taken into account, this is scarcely the stuff of which multimillionaires are made."
A commission on liquor licensing was set up last November by the Minister for Justice. It was given a two-year remit to complete its work, which includes a review of the scope for a system of additional licences.