I move that the Committee agree with the Seanad in amendment 1:—
Section 2, sub-section (1). The words "or on St. Patrick's Day" deleted in line 43.
There is a rather formidable list of amendments, but this is explained by the fact that a great many of them are consequential on one important amendment that has been made in the Bill, the amendment bearing on the question of hours on St. Patrick's Day. The following amendments go with amendment 1:
1.—Section 2, sub-section (1). The words "or on Saint Patrick's Day" deleted in line 43.
2.—Section 2, sub-section (1). After the word "Friday" in line 46 the words "or St. Patrick's Day" inserted.
5.—Section 14. After the word "Friday" in line 58 the words "and Saint Patrick's Day" inserted.
6.—Section 15, sub-section (1). Lines 9 and 10 deleted.
7.—Section 16, sub-section (1). The words "or Saint Patrick's Day" deleted in line 63.
8.—Section 16, sub-section (1). The words "or Saint Patrick's Day" deleted in line 8.
9.—Section 16, sub-section (2). The words "or Saint Patrick's Day" deleted in line 15.
10.—Section 16, sub-section (3). The words "or Saint Patrick's Day" deleted in line 22.
17.—Section 56, sub-section (1). The words "or Saint Patrick's Day" deleted in line 56.
18.—Section 56, sub-section (1). After the word "Friday" in line 60 the words "or Saint Patrick's Day" inserted.
20.—Section 56, sub-section (2). The words "or Saint Patrick's Day" deleted in line 19.
21.—Section 56, sub-section (2). After the word "Friday" in line 23 the words "or Saint Patrick's Day" inserted.
23.—Section 56, sub-section (3). The words "or Saint Patrick's Day" deleted in line 59.
24.—Section 56, sub-section (3).
After the word "Friday" in line 63 the words "or Saint Patrick's Day" inserted.
The Bill, as passed by the Dáil, provided that St. Patrick's Day should be treated as Sunday, which was the recommendation of the Liquor Commission. The majority of Senators favoured a complete closing on St. Patrick's Day, that is, that licensed premises should be closed everywhere, and that the so-called bona fide traffic should not be permitted. In the Act of 1924 I had a provision to that effect, which the Dáil rejected. The Seanad, subsequently, re-inserted it. They made provision for a complete closing on St. Patrick's Day, that is, that no house would be technically and legally open, but they did not provide against the bona fide traffic, so that the position you have had since 1924 was that you had not the 2-5 opening in the four cities that is allowed on Sundays. You had a general closing with the bona fide writ running, so to speak. We have not had under statute, at any rate, therefore, the completely dry St. Patrick's Day which is aimed at by this amendment. We have had something fairly near to it. We have had complete closing, with the bona fide traffic running. The case that was put up in the Seanad was the case that I put up in 1924 to the Dáil, that not very many years ago the efforts of young men and public opinion, generally, in a great many towns through the country, almost all the towns through the country, were directed to practically compelling licensed traders to keep strictly closed on St. Patrick's Day. At that time we had not the power to legislate that we have now, and I have very little doubt that if Dublin Castle and British administration were still prevailing here, and if we were relying on Westminster for our legislation, that you would still have a considerable volume of public opinion in the country crying out that traders should close on St. Patrick's Day.
Well, the situation has changed. If we feel that they should close on St. Patrick's Day, it is now in our power to legislate to that effect, and the irony of it is that no sooner had we the power to provide for that by legislation than public opinion seemed to fade away on the matter. We heard a great deal about individual rights, the right to get drunk on St. Patrick's Day just as well as on any other day, and so on. One got a little cynical on the whole thing. If it meant anything it meant a gesture. It meant that the country wished to signify in that way that it was turning its back on intemperance, the intemperance which, deservedly or otherwise, was thrown at us as something of a national characteristic in the past. It had a good deal to recommend it, that the country should, on each recurring St. Patrick's Day, so to speak, remind itself of the necessity for the virtue of temperance by ordaining the complete closing of the licensed houses. But if it is something that has to be done by a narrow majority or at the expense of a tussle between the two Houses of the Oireachtas, then, personally, I see very little value in doing it, even if one could count on pulling it off by the process of counting heads and a small number of heads at that. I do not really care very much whether the Dáil accepts or rejects this amendment. I cannot assist the Dáil in the matter of forecasting what the attitude of the Seanad will be if this amendment is rejected. The Seanad may conceivably hold very firm on the matter and hold up this Bill for nine months, or it may give way and decide not to press its desire for this provision in face of the fact that the less idealistic Assembly has rejected it. But my personal position is that I recommended a provision of the kind to the Dáil in 1924, and I recommend this now.