maybe it means "Very Frickin' Irritating"

Our Minister for Adequate Consumption of Alcohol is currently proposing a number of changes to the licensing laws; mostly rolling up the existing patchwork of laws into a single new bloc law, but also he's mentioned introducing a "continental-style" café-bar license. The main ways in which this would differ from existing pub licenses is that it would only be applicable to small premises, the premises would not be allowed to serve "take-aways" (that's effectively off-license sales, as opposed to three batter burgers and a bag of curried chips) and the premises would have to provide hot meals at all times (there's currently, I think, a "club license" which allows you to remain open until 1:30 as long as you serve hot food at some point during the evening.).

The Vintners' Federation of Ireland have come out against this proposed new license, apparently on the grounds that it will reduce business for their members. Now, while this may well be the case, I will once more draw attention to the fact that these are the guys who, prior to the smoking ban's introduction, ridiculed the offical figures on deaths attributable to smoking, encouraged their members NOT TO PAY TAX to fight the smoking ban, engaged in price-fixing along with the Licenced Vintner's Association in 1996/1997 (for which proceedings were initiated, and the last available update was that they "gave undertakings in the High Court" (Competition Authority Annual Report 2003); I have the High Court record number, but it appears not to be something I can access online), supported Diageo's price increases solely on the grounds that said prices hadn't been raised in 18 months, and called for an end to Happy Hour and similar promotions. And as such, I have NO sympathy for them whatsoever.