Although pubs are suffering as the Irish population is feeling the sting of the recession off-license sales have soared by 15 percent. The figures show that the Irish population is drinking less and have switched to better value draught beer and away from spirits.
On average ten years ago Irish people drank an average of 14.4 liters of pure alcohol per year. That figure has now dropped to 11.2 liters.
However, DIGI also announced that 25,000 jobs across the drinks industry could be lost by the end of the year.
The group, unsurprisingly, are asking Irish people to continue drinking in their local pubs. They state that it is the most controlled environment for drinking alcohol and people tend to drink more in their homes.
They also said that in the next 12 months another 1,000 Irish pubs would not be having their licenses renewed.
Donall O’Keeffe, the chief executive of the Licensed Vintners Association said there "absolutely no sign of market conditions improving for the pub trade".
"Rather, the likelihood is that current trends will continue, forcing many publicans out of business and thousands of subsequent job losses.”
DIGI’s figures who a 14.1 percent drop in the first seven months of the year along with a nine percent drop last year. Since 2000 the volume of bar sales has dropped by 25 percent.
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