Taoiseach Micheál Martin has ruled out a cut in excise duty to tackle so-called ‘pintflation’. 

On Thursday, Heineken Ireland announced that the price of its draft products would increase by 50c. 

The change will come into effect next month and pub owners have said they will likely pass on 25 -35c of the rise to consumers - pushing the price of a pint in certain pubs over €7. 

“That’s a matter for Heineken,” Mr Martin told Newstalk. 

“And they have to be acutely aware of the consumers’ capacity to absorb such price increases, I would have thought. 

“And so do publicans have to be very mindful about what the consumer can absorb but the Government doesn’t have any plans to change excise duty.” 

Toners Bar in Dublin. Photo: James Horan/Photocall Ireland

'Very overpriced'

One publican in Dublin said he would remove certain Heineken brands from his bar in protest at the increase. 

“The way I felt about it this morning was that the Palace Bar had to make a stand,” Mr Ahern said. 

“Speaking on behalf of ourselves, we have taken out a couple of taps as of now to make a stand. 

“We’re dealing with a big corporate company here so on behalf of myself and my father here we had to make a stand and say you know, that is just not acceptable to that extent.”

He is also worried that it would add to the impression that Dublin is “very overpriced” as a city. 

Heineken said the increase in price is necessary because of “exceptional inflationary pressure” on its supply chains. 

Main image: Micheál Martin and a pint.