NOffLA helps highlight local plight

The National Off-Licence Association alongside the other members of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland, took part in the recent ‘Support your Local’ campaign launch.

Speaking at the event, NOffLA Chairperson Evelyn Jones emphasised the importance of the accompanying report Drinks-related employment in Dáil constituencies 2013 by DCU Business School’s Tony Foley.

“Over 3,000 jobs have been lost in the independent off-licence sector since 2008 while in the last year alone 18 independent off-licences have shut down,” she said, “These closures represent huge damage to the local communities from which they operated; independent-off licences act as small, responsible outlets for the retail of alcohol, whose employees all hold the Association’s Responsible Trading Certificate.

“Additionally, they employ locally and so sales receipts are thus circulated back into the local economy. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for many of the supermarkets which people go to alternatively to purchase alcohol.”

She continued that the launch of ‘Support Your Local’ “…thus sets out to highlight the sheer importance of supporting your local off-licence, pub, restaurant and hotel, which by extension support your local farmer and community as a whole.”
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