A major reform of pub licensing laws is recommended in a report to be published today.
The report, compiled by the Competition Authority, will call for the current legislation, dating from the 1920s, to be overhauled to allow for more licences to be issued.
It follows an 18-month investigation into the drinks industry. It will argue that consumers are losing out because the legislation acts as a barrier to entry into the market and leaves it open to abuses on pricing.