The Commission on Liquor Licensing is likely to recommend that all licences go through the District Court when it reports to the Minister for Justice next week.
The commission, under the chairmanship of a Limerick solicitor, Mr Gordon Holmes, has already reported on under-age drinking. It has now considered all legislation relating to liquor licensing, some of which dates back to the 1800s.
A recommendation that all licence applications go before a District Court is likely to have a particular impact on venues such as theatres, which can serve drink under general entertainment licences which do not go before a court.
The commission is likely to say that the public should have a right to be heard on the issuing of any licence to sell liquor.
Meanwhile, The Irish Times has learned that a case where a pub was found to have discriminated against a man, by asking him to leave the premises with his child, was considered by the commission.
Earlier this week Mr O'Donoghue announced that he was asking the commission to consider the right of publicans to refuse admission, especially in the light of this case, brought earlier this year under the Equal Status Act.
It concerned a discrimination finding by an equality officer on family status grounds when a publican, in the Glimmerman public house, asked the man to leave the premises with his child.
It is understood that the commission, in its report to the Minister next week, will say that any legislation relating to liquor licensing must make the interests of children paramount.
Even before the Glimmerman case, the commission was concerned about the issue of children in pubs generally, and members of the public had also expressed concern on this question. It is likely that the commission will uphold the right of the publican to refuse access to children after 6 p.m.
Following the referral to the commission of the aspects of the Equal Status Act that deal with the right of publicans to refuse people, it will be advertising for submissions from interested parties. It may also wish to hear oral evidence.