Only 11 out of 94 licensed premises visited by Director of Consumer Affairs inspectors were able to produce evidence that they had not increased drink prices since May 15th. This follows an order freezing certain drink prices which came into force on July 6th.
The Director of Consumer Affairs, Ms Carmel Foley, intends to prosecute publicans who are shown not to have complied with the order freezing the price of 16 drinks at their May 15th level.
The inspectors visited 34 premises in Dublin and found eight were complying with the order. They visited 10 premises in Co Longford and four in Co Sligo and could not establish if any of them were complying.
Ms Foley said the inspectors would return over the coming weeks to all premises where an acceptable form of documentary proof of prices on May 15th was not easily available.
She told The Irish Times she was "a bit surprised" that so few publicans were able to supply her inspectors with documentary evidence as to how much they were charging on May 15th.
In the absence of this information, she added, it was difficult for the inspectors to establish whether individual publicans were complying with the order.
Ms Foley said she found it difficult to understand why the information was not available to the inspectors given the widespread publicity the price-freeze order had been given.
She added that the holiday period meant that the inspectorate was not at full strength over the past weeks. The main task of the inspectors now was to establish the level of compliance with the order in licensed premises and to gather evidence for prosecution where the circumstances warranted.
The Retail Prices (Beverages in Licensed Premises) Order, 2000, was introduced as part of the Government's effort to tackle rising inflation. It came into force on July 6th.
Ms Foley said it provided for a £100 fine or the possibility of a prison sentence.