In Ireland, pubs are an important institution and social activity. Yet, in the past years less people visit them, leading to the decline and even sometimes closures of pubs. It can be explained by several reasons:
- drinking-driving legislation has become gradually stricter, with the introduction of the penalty points system in 2002 (Road Traffic Act 2002) and, since 26 October 2018, the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018 that punishes certain drink driving offences by disqualifying from driving for 3 months instead of simply getting 3 penalty points as used to be the case. Drinking and driving has become a taboo. It is the main reason for the decline of pubs.
- the smoking ban in pubs since 29 march 2004.
- the cost of beer in pubs, whereas alcohol became cheaper in supermakets since the abolition of the Groceries Order in 2006 that allowed suppliers to specify minimum prices below which products could not be sold.
Because of these reasons, older customers go less to the pub and they are not replaced by a younger generation of customers as they prefer to drink at home.
