Labour Party holds conference on licensing hours

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Tuesday March 31, 2009 13:40

by Phier

Labour party in favour of increasing opening hours.

Their motion states:

Conference notes the efforts of the legislature to reduce the abuse of alcohol by reducing access to alcohol by further limiting opening hours of pubs, night clubs and off-licenses.

Conference also notes that in today's society many people are working later hours and through out the week and weekend including Sundays.

Conference further notes that capping the opening hours of pubs, nightclubs and off-licenses is an unjustifiable and unnecessary hindrance for those working late hours any day of the week.

Conference believes that forcing these establishments to close at the same time creates an environment where the transport and food services as well as the Gardaí are stretched resulting in an increase in violence, vandalism and public order offences.

Conference believes that alcohol is to be enjoyed responsibly and that the current legislation restricts the rights of people to consume alcohol and that the current system does not help protect society from the effects of alcohol abuse.

Conference also believes that allowing pubs, clubs and nightclubs to extend their opening hours will alleviate the sudden rush created on the streets caused by the current system and will allow for those who work late or early hours on any day of the week to enjoy alcohol.

Conference calls for:
The licensing system to allow pubs, night clubs and off-licenses to extend their licenses as late or as early as the owners of the licenses like subject to the courts satisfaction with the license holders compliance and respect for other relevant laws.
Licensing laws to no longer force pubs, nightclubs and off-licenses to close earlier on weekdays or Sundays.
Alcohol regulation to switch from restricting the rights of people and businesses to the protection of people from those who are drunk and disorderedly and to increase support for those abusing alcohol.

Proposing Branch : NUI Galway/Galway West - (Galway West)

From their site, which also contains a poll on the matter.

As they're talking about something other than the recession i think now is the time to get writing again to politicians, taxi drivers, gardai, and nightclub union representatives if you too have an opinion on the matter.

save preference

Comments (10 of 10)

yeah right

by Michael

Tue Mar 31, 2009 14:42

That's exactly what we need right now. Our country is goin down the toilet right now thanks to the banks, the unions, and the crap 'leadership' of the buisness/political elite; but hey, let's demand more access to alcohol so that we can drink ourselves into a hole, creating more tax revenue to be creamed off by the state, rather than organising for change. To paraphrase Bill Hicks, 'go back to sleep Ireland; here's more beer and 99 channels of Tubirdy, Don't worry your Government has it all under control.'

Assumption

Tue Mar 31, 2009 15:06

You're making the assumption that reducing the hours of availability reduces consumption.

Tue Mar 31, 2009 15:17

No, i'm making the assumption that increasing the hours of availability increases consumption.

Labour Policy

by Albatrot

Tue Mar 31, 2009 16:08

Thats all very well but, would Labour in government with FG be able to implement this policy?Remember FG are the ones getting their knickers in a twist about head shops and the like. And this goes for a hell of a lot of aspirational Labour policy. Its all very well sounding radical, making lovely speeches and all that but then they go into coalition with the most conservative major party in the country. Whats the point?

Controls

Tue Mar 31, 2009 16:28

If controls are put in place for security inside and outside the building to effectively do their job then anti-social behavour would be better curbed than by using blanket protectionism for all (bar copper face jacks who stay open later, coincidence?).

Also, FG were against FF's Liquor Act at the time and wrote up far more specific ammendments such as a nightclub license (nightclubs are not recognised as a legal entity and operate under the Public Dance Hall Act of 1935) whilst Labour were more pie in the sky idealists as demonstrated here, but all parties bar a couple of PDs voted against FF.

No proportionality

by Starstruck

Tue Mar 31, 2009 17:06

Its a pity that the drug alcohol gets such a light treatment from Labour whilst they chickened out of taking a position on cannabis last year.

Lil 'ol Wine Drinker Me

by Wise Owl - Irish through and through

Wed Apr 01, 2009 06:03

A debate on longer opening hours for the boozers ? the legal people must be getting quiet ... you and i know the damage already caused due to excess
alcohol and its horrors ,is Lil Labour so thick upstairs to even contemplate such barbaric interference ? No answer required................

Vintners

by Blacbloc

Wed Apr 01, 2009 07:51

This looks like a Labour/FG initiative. FG have a sizeable vintners lobby among their supporters.

The measures taken earlier in the year to cut alcohol consumption worked - closing the offies earlier etc. Within two months the alcohol industry was down approx 20% on take. The publicans are desperate to get people drinking in pubs again. Labour should be ashamed of themselves - pretending that this is a measure to help people drink more sensibly.

blacbloc

Wed Apr 01, 2009 14:59

The measures worked? Decreased alcohol consumption is nothing to do with the economy then? BTW, whatever about FG links with the vintners, surely half the publicans in Ireland are members of FF, going by my home town anyway.

It didn't work

Wed Apr 01, 2009 18:01

It was meant to curb unruly behaviour and health damages caused due to excessive alcohol consumption, not put people out of business and restrict the social lives of adults.

Supt Joe Gannon, of Pearse Street Garda Station said:

"The difference is the streets are cleared earlier," he says. "When we had the theatre licences one lot were coming out of bars at 2.30am and another lot coming out of the late clubs at 3.30am, so there were people on the streets until about 5am.

"Now they are all coming out together at 2.30am. The fast-food places don't have the capacity for them all, so a lot head straight home.

"If it is staggered, there is less volume at once, which is easier to deal with. There is less potential for volatility on the streets."

Full text: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2008/1216/....html

A report will be released soon showing the social affects of alcohol consumption before and after staggered closing has been introduced accross Europe. It is favourable towards staggered closing.

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Labour Party holds conference on licensing hours

Comments (10 of 10)