The Government is set to fast-track new laws to clamp down on cheap alcohol sales in off-licences and supermarkets with the Cabinet expected to approve plans within the next two weeks.

The Sunday Independent has also learned that controversial minimum unit pricing rules for wine, beer and spirits will come into effect within 12 months, meaning this is the last summer consumers will be able to avail of bargain-basement alcohol drinks.

Health minister Simon Harris will bring a memorandum to the Cabinet before the summer recess which will set out plans to introduce bans on below-price selling of alcohol by the middle of next year.

The purpose of the new rules is to remove strong low-priced alcohol from sale and to reduce consumption levels, particularly among drinkers at risk of harm and young people.

Under the new laws, a 75cl bottle of white wine costing €5.99 will increase by €1.11 while 70cl of Tesco vodka currently costing €12.99 will see an increase of €7.72, making it €20.71. A bottle of Tesco gin costing €15.99 will rise by €4.72, to €20.71, while a can of Dutch Gold beer costing €1.13 will increase by 45c.

The development follows Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last week publicly stating that the Government planned to move quickly to implement minimum unit pricing.

The Taoiseach was speaking after it emerged alcohol sales in Scotland had fallen to their lowest level since records began after the introduction of minimum pricing last year.

"Scotland brought in the legislation first and it does seem to be working, consumption is falling, and we'll press ahead with implementing our public health alcohol legislation," Mr Varadkar said.

The Public Health (Alcohol) Act was enacted by the Dail last year but several parts of the legislation have yet to be formally implemented.

The Government faced huge opposition to several aspects of the bill but there was almost cross-party support for clamping down on the sale of cheap drinks in off-licences and supermarkets.

Minimum unit pricing will mean each drink sold in a shop is measured by the grammes of alcohol it contains. Major retailers will be forced to ensure any drink they sell is priced at no less than 10c per gramme of alcohol. This means supermarket chains and off-licences will be banned from selling cans of beer for less than €1 or average bottles of wine for less than €7.50.

The new rules will also see supermarkets cut back on special offers for bulk-buying beer and wine.

The Government expects to face opposition from retailers over the new laws.

However, it is understood Minister Harris believes the 12-month lead-in period is a significant amount of time to allow the industry prepare for pricing changes

The new laws will not force up the price of alcoholic drinks in pubs or restaurants and the legislation is supported by the Vintners Association of Ireland.

Minister Harris previously said "price matters" before adding that "if it goes up, harm goes down".

"We hear that Irish people drink moderately, but the 2017 Healthy Ireland Survey found that nearly four out of 10 of us binge drink regularly," he said.

"The more we drink, the higher our risk of developing life-changing illnesses such as alcoholic liver diseases or alcohol-related cancers. We can no longer ignore the evidence or the risks."

HSE guidelines on alcohol consumption suggest men should drink no more than 17 standard drinks a week which equates to around eight and a half pints of beer or 17 small glasses of wine.

It is suggested that women should consume no more than 11 standard drinks per week.

The HSE suggests the drinks should be spaced out over the week with two to three alcohol-free days per week.

Binge drinking is considered consuming more than six standard drinks in one evening.

A recent survey found by Alcohol Ireland found an Irish male could consume 17 standard drinks for as little as €8.49.

The same survey found an Irish woman could consume 11 standard drinks for €5.49.

Dr Bobby Smyth, consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, and Alcohol Action Ireland board member, said: "At this level of affordability, for a tenner you can buy enough drink to cause a fatal alcohol overdose."

Sunday Independent