New Irish Brewers' Association figures show a 9% drop in draught beer sales in the Republic in the past year since a smoking ban was introduced and an "unprecedented" 11.5% drop in the first four months of 2005.
The slump was particulary significant in Dublin where they fell by a dramatic 15% despite the growing tourist numbers visiting the Irish capital. Beamish & Crawford which sells draught Beamish Stout, Miller, Foster's, Kronenberg, Carling and Beamish Red Ale is freezing its prices at the current level until next year.
The Cork-based brewer of Beamish stout has not increased it prices since March 2003 and its strategy is bringing results as it is the only Irish stout to increase sales in the past year.
Beamish & Crawford managing director Alf Smiddy said: "It is imperative that suppliers do everything to assist customers and consumers. By freezing our prices, we are enabling our customers to hold theirs, and hopefully beer drinkers will recognise and respond to these efforts."
The Dublin-based Licensed Vintners Association welcomed the B&C price freeze in a "very difficult period for the pub trade" and called for strong support for their products from publicans .
And the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, representing 6,000 provincial publicans, said that because of the continuing downturn in the pub trade it had asked drink suppliers to freeze prices in recent months.
However, Diageo and Bulmers are raising the price of a pint in the Irish Republic by five cents from June 1. As a result the price of a pint of Heineken, Guinness, Smithwicks, Carlsberg, Harp, Buidweiser and Bulmers will cost drinkers an extra 10 cents as publicans are expected to add four cents to the brewers' increase and VAT is added.