I appreciated the Irish News coverage (August 26) of the price of a pint which detailed how the average pint in Belfast costs 90p more than in Dublin, despite the average wage in Dublin being more than 40 per cent higher.
One of the reasons this could be is the difficulty in acquiring a licence to sell alcohol in Belfast. Young and hungry prospective bar owners are being prevented from entering the field as there are a set number of alcohol licences and so to acquire one you must purchase it from a current owner at fees of over £100,000.
An upside is that this prevents pub chains from moving in en masse. While Wetherspoons is to be commended for serving pints at around half the price elsewhere, a chain pub or indeed café is a bland brand and monolithic experience not to be encouraged. More licences could be made available to independent bar owners, providing more competition while protecting our pub heritage.
The high cost of pints has serious consequences. The social cohesion and safety net of drinking in bars is lost as more people choose to drink at home. Furthermore the young, being unable to afford drinking in bars, are more susceptible to drugs that appear relatively cheaper.
In an age which increasingly draws us to an online world we must make every effort to protect the great form of community festivity – singing, dancing, talking and drinking together in the pub.
Dominic Galagher
Glenavy, Co Antrim
