With the Budget looming, Irish publicans will today outline a proposal they believe could raise €200 million for the exchequer without impacting on publicans around the State.

With the help of law firm Arthur Cox, the Dublin-based Licensed Vintners Association and its rural cousin the Vintners Federation of Ireland have spent the past year drafting a proposal that would raise revenues without increasing excise duties.

This involves a form of levy on the off-trade to counter the sale of ultra-cheap booze but stop short of minimum pricing.

Publicans are trying to head off an increase in excise duties, which, they argue, could threaten some of the 50,000 jobs in the 6,000 or so pubs countrywide.

The LVA and VFI believe their proposal complies with EU regulations on VAT and excise duties.

We’ll find out on Wednesday if Michael Noonan approves.

* Air passenger statisticsfor October from the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK show that the number of people flying between our two jurisdictions was only marginally up year-on-year at 822,893.

A couple of interesting footnotes: five people flew between Dublin and the island of Guernsey while four flew between Waterford and sister Channel Island Jersey.

Might this have anything to do with their status as tax havens?

* Denis O'Brien's Digicelenjoyed a strong first half to its financial year with revenues and earnings both showing healthy double-digit percentage increases.

However, in the Pacific island of Vanuatu, it is being investigated by the telecoms regulator following a complaint of anti-competitive behaviour by rival Telecom Vanuatu Ltd.

The regulator has accepted the complaint and asked Digicel to respond before it makes a determination.

“The investigation is now in process,” according to the regulator’s website.