THE race is on for the presidency of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland. It is not yet known who precisely will be in the field but insiders are tipping the candidacy of Mr John Mansworth, a publican from Cobb, Co Cork.
And the outcome will be important. The federation represents 6,500 publicans in the State, has a say in bow young people behave socially and how drug dealing in pubs is tackled.
It also has views on whether there should a national identity card scheme for young drinkers.
Mr Mansworth has been outspoken on these issues and has vowed to bring them to the top of his agenda if elected. Parents may be interested in his manifesto even if they will have no say in the outcome of the election battle.
The voting is carried out by members of the VFI national executive on the basis of two votes per county, with the exception of the larger counties. There is no Dublin vote because the Dublin vintners left the VFI in 1987 to become the autonomous Licensed Vintners' Association.
Of the 25 counties that will vote, the larger voting counties will be Limerick (three), Galway (three), Kerry (three), and Cork (four).
Mr Mansworth is concerned about the drug situation in pubs. It was his idea some months ago to launch a campaign to educate publicans on what to look out for on their premises.
"Publicans, by and large, are from a generation untouched by the phenomenon of the drug culture. It is not reasonable to assume that they can be up to date on this subject if they are not educated on how to read the signs when they suspect that drug abuse or drug trafficking is going on under their noses.
The idea is that we will liaise with the Garda and the local and regional drug squads to become their eyes and ears - to turn pubs into drug free zones.
The Garda authorities have given the initiative their full support.
Mr Mansworth says his presidency if he makes it to the top job - will turn the VFI into a market led organisation. His vision is that pubs throughout the 25 counties he hopes to represent will be marketed as a potent force in Irish tourism, offering the ambience and atmosphere that only rural Irish pubs can offer.
He claims nothing can match the uniqueness and special flavour of the Irish pub; that the federation must play to its strengths and sell its wares aggressively; and that the Government should recognise the potential for revenue generation that exists in tourism.
However, he has his own constituency to consider and this is where members of the drinking public may part company with Mr Mansworth as he seeks the removal of the price control order on drink.
It's not a greed thing, he says. He wishes to see market forces taking over and claims that the market will always find its own level.
To Mr Mansworth, this means choice. If you don't like the price in one establishment, you go to another where prices are cheaper.
He also claims that 78 per cent of pubs in rural Ireland are turning over £3,000 a week or less and that a high percentage of rural pubs are closed by day simply because there is no business to keep them open.
"The reality is that many rural publicans are subsidising their businesses by taking a second job they have no other option. They are the ones most affected by price controls.
"Another reality is that the bigger establishments are bigger because of the massive investments made by the owners."
He claims a common working week for a publican involves 100 hours.
Any newly elected president will serve a one year term but will automatically be given a second one.
Once the general election campaigning is over, the candidates, perhaps four, will take to the field in earnest in an election that is no less important to them. The new president will take office in March.