I move: That the Bill be now read a Second Time. The object of this Bill is to allow reasonable facilities for the sale of intoxicating liquor to persons visiting the Industrial and Agricultural Fair outside Cork City that will open on 11th May and continue until the end of September or October. The normal method of providing these facilities is by way of the grant of an occasional licence such as is granted to race meetings, and that is in fact the general line upon which we are proceeding. There are, however, two restrictions on the normal occasional licences which would hardly be reasonable in connection with this particular occasion, and they are: That an occasional licence is granted for no longer than three consecutive days; also, that an occasional licence cannot be granted for Sundays. We propose to allow the occasional licence in connection with the Fair to be granted for a maximum period of three months, without prejudice to a fresh grant after that period. We also propose to allow the sale of intoxicating liquor on Sundays at such hours not earlier than one in the afternoon or later than nine in the evening as the Justice may prescribe and subject to such conditions as he may prescribe. On week-days, the ordinary law for occasional licences will operate; that is, the hours will be such as the Justice who deals with the matter shall prescribe. In effect, therefore, we are interfering with the ordinary law to the extent only of permitting a limited sale on Sundays.
I understand that the Fair grounds are outside the county borough of Cork but apparently within the licensing area of the county borough justice. I have thought it right, however, to say explicitly, for the removal of any doubt, that for licensing purposes the grounds shall be deemed to be within the county borough so as to give the county borough justice clear jurisdiction. That is practically all that it is necessary to say about the Bill. Perhaps I should add this for the benefit of any Deputies who may not be familiar with the licensing code, that occasional licences cannot be granted without giving forty-eight hours notice to the Civic Guard authorities. The Civic Guard authorities are entitled to be heard at the application and that rule will of course apply automatically to any licence that may be granted under this Bill, if it becomes an Act.
