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.
