Elements of Alcohol Bill will worsen public disorder
Issued : Thursday 3 July, 2008
Statement by Pat Rabbitte TD
Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources
The Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2008 is scheduled for a government guillotine next week when Committee, Report and Final Stages will be rushed through with just two hours for debate. The Bill has flown below the radar so far with the exception of ludicrous diversions about withdrawing sections that would have closed "early morning" pubs.
But the "early morning pubs" inclusion are not the only ill-conceived measures in this legislation. The Government is promoting it as a major initiative to tackle teenage binge drinking and public disorder. It may well have the opposite effect intended.
For example, the proposal to cause all nightclubs to disgorge their patrons onto the streets at the same time invites public transport crisis and put pressure on the emergency services. The restrictions on late Theatre Licences is an unreasonable intrusion by the State into entertainment arrangements normal in other cities. Some of the operators of such late night entertainment claim that enforcement of the new restrictions will impact negatively on employment.
Teenage binge drinking and public disorder are unlikely to be arrested by the terms of the new law but it will have several adverse implications for the sensible management of late night entertainment in a country seeking to attract young tourists. Public safety will not be enhanced by the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008. It will again put intolerable pressures on public transport and other public services.
A Sale of Alcohol Bill is separately promised and it would have been more prudent to incorporate the better provisions of this Bill into that hopefully more considered legislation. The present Bill is a knee jerk reaction to the undoubted malaise in our society concerning the abuse of alcohol by very young people. That malaise has nothing to do with "early houses" and very little to do with the typical nightclub. Forcing people onto the streets at the same time when there is inadequate transport is not the responsible answer. Extinguishing Theatre Licences and increasing Special Exemption Orders will only make the situation worse.
Responding to anti-social behaviour, drunkenness and public disorder amongst very young people is very challenging but this Bill misses the point and it should not be rushed through all stages merely to enable the Government to say "we have legislated against binge drinking."
Where there are abuses of Special Exemption Orders and Theatre Licences it is a question of enforcing the law. More law won't dramatically lead to the law being applied. If the changes we make now in these areas are not seen to be workable, the new law will simply fall into disuse.
