SPECIAL privileges provided for Army personnel through the Defence Forces by way of heavily subsidised bars and extended opening hours are being abused, delegates were told at the annual meeting of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland in Kilkenny yesterday.
The rules of Army bars should be reviewed and ways of ensuring there were no breaches should be introduced, said Mr Paul O'Grady, newly elected VFI president.
Army barracks have special facilities for members of the Defence Forces, and in limited circumstances their guests.
"We have no difficulty with the provision of these facilities," said Mr O'Grady. "But many cases of abuse of the rules have come to the attention of the VFI.
"Our members are reluctant to openly voice their concerns about these abuses, because they are afraid of a backlash in their areas. But we would appeal to the Defence Forces command to introduce some system of control."
He said VFI members had heard eases of barracks openly advertising for wedding and parties to the public. They had been told that once a person was brought into the bar a couple of times by a member of the Defence Forces, that person can become a regular without restrictions.
The VFI, which covers over 6,000 pubs, also calls for stricter laws, and particularly stricter penalties for those who seek to fraudulently receive money from Irish business people.