Plans for minimum pricing on alcohol have been dealt a major blow - after the EU's highest court said the plan would be against European law.
The European Court of Justice says a minimum price for drinks is illegal in cases where a tax could be imposed instead.
The news comes only a week after the health minister Leo Varadkar published legislation which would impose minimum prices of €€2 for a regular can of beer, or €€10 for a bottle of wine.
In its ruling this morning the court said the measure was unfair because it applied to imported drinks too - and therefore it restricted the ability of foreign drinks companies to trade freely.
However groups campaigning for action against alcohol abuse say there's no reason for the Government to scrap its plans for minimum pricing.
Ireland already has some of the highest taxes in the European Union on alcohol products.
Conor Cullen of Alcohol Action Ireland says that means taxes aren't working - and Ireland should be able to go ahead with its plans.
Our political correspondent Gavan Reilly filed this report for Today FM's National Lunchtime News:
