SETTING UP cafe bars and extending opening hours for licensed premises would be "quite disastrous" given current patterns of drinking, according to Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan.
He told the Dáil he was particularly concerned with "the increase in the number of supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations with off-licences and how alcohol products are sold in such outlets, including below-cost selling and special promotions. I share the view that we have a problem with our patterns of drinking. It is clear this problem is adding to public disorder."
Speaking during justice questions and in advance of a private members' debate on antisocial behaviour, Mr Lenihan said a review by the Garda Commissioner of legislation dealing with the use of offensive weapons in assaults and murders would be ready by the end of the month.
He had also asked the Government advisory group on alcohol to examine urgently the law governing the sale and consumption of alcohol, including those aimed at "combating excessive and under-age alcohol consumption". It will also report before April.
He said he would bring forward urgent legislative changes after Easter, while work continues "on the drafting of a comprehensive Sale of Alcohol Bill" to modernise the law but he stressed that "we are not going to be able to deal with all the problems in a short Bill to be enacted before the summer, but we can at least begin to address the problem".
Fine Gael justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan called for a restriction on off-licences. He said 637 new off-licences opened last year and "the previous year there were 547 new off-licences. No wonder we have a problem in communities, and a situation whereby crime and drink are causing major concern," he said.
Mr Lenihan agreed and said the chairman of the advisory group had "expressed specific concern that in his earlier work the terms of reference did not permit him to address the issue of the harmful effects of alcohol in the context of any review of legislation. One thing is very clear and that is that further extensions in the opening hours for licensed premises or the establishment of cafe bar type arrangements would be quite disastrous in this context".
Labour justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte asked "what kind of sickness is in our society when law-abiding citizens are fearful of these gangs of marauding teenagers who gather with menace outside off-licenses" with "a garda nowhere to be seen". Mr Lenihan insisted that the gardaí "are exceptionally visible on the ground".
