A mammoth overhaul of the antiquated licensing system heralds last orders for the jumble of 200 laws that govern the sale of alcohol. Pubs will be allowed to stay open until 12.30am through the week, nightclubs until 6am and new annual permits will be introduced for late bars that already serve until 2.30am.
The Government casts the new rules as an attempt to spur a night-time economy damaged by coronavirus lockdowns and the closure of many city night clubs and rural pubs. It also marks an effort to reflect in law changes in the way people socialise. If longer opening hours prevent a last-minute dash to order drinks just before closing time, that is a good thing. But Minister for Justice Helen McEntee must also address Garda concerns about the need for increased policing, the lack of late-night public transport in cities and concerns that expanded hours will fuel alcohol abuse.
At root, the incoming regime aims to replace old laws that have been stretched to the limit to meet the needs of night life in modern times. But it is still a huge undertaking. The general scheme for the Bill runs to 443 pages – and a good many of the laws to be scrapped predate the State’s foundation a century ago. They include the Tippling Act of 1735, the Refreshment Houses (Ireland) Act of 1860 and, for some reason, the Anglo-Portuguese Commercial Treaty Act of 1914.
All of that seems very far removed from 21st-century socialising, although the volume of ancient law still in force is always something to exercise legislators. The distant world that gave us the Public Dance Halls Act in 1935 is certainly not the world of strobe lighting and electronic beats, yet that code remains in force to this day, albeit in amended form. True, staying in a club until dawn may be the pursuit only of a relatively small number. But those who do should have the protection of law and proper regulation.
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The new licensing regime also includes provisions to give local communities, health authorities and gardaí the right to raise any concerns over public safety and public health – a welcome move.