Hogan says government will not be held to ransom by drink firms

The Environment Minister says the government will not be threatened by drinks companies into dropping plans for a ban on their sponsorship of sporting events.
Phil Hogan says the government will continue to discuss all points of view on alcohol sponsorship and that the proposals will be brought to the Cabinet table in the coming weeks.
It comes after spokespeople for Diageo said attracting investment to Ireland would be ‘difficult’ in a ‘very anti-alcohol’ environment and that Guinness and Baileys did not have to be made here.
But Environment Minister Phil Hogan says the government will not be held to ransom.
“I don’t think the government will be threatened by any individual company – but obviously the issues that they have raised and the government’s concern about some of those sponsorships at sporting events are being discussed by Minister Alex White, who’ll be bringing proposals to government in the next few weeks” he said.