Merry Christmas one and all.
Plans to introduce a minimum price for alcohol have been curbed by the EU's highest court.
The European Court of Justice has stated that the introduction of a minimum price of alcohol would be illegal in cases where a tax could be imposed instead.
The news comes just one week after Minister for Health Leo Varadkar announced the Public Health (alcohol) Bill which would see the minimum price of a 500ml can of beer at €1.95 and a bottle of wine at €8.63.
Judges at the Luxembourg court concluded that the minimum pricing would be unfair as it would apply to imported drinks also, meaning that it would restrict the ability of foreign companies to trade freely.
The legislation, which aimed to curb the availability of cheap alcohol products, also proposed new laws surrounding advertisement of alcohol products.
