John Bruton
Question:15 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice her views on whether there should be a general closing time of 11.30 p.m. on all outlets for the sale of alcoholic drink.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Licensing Hours.
The liquor licensing laws are kept under continuous review by my Department. I have no proposals at present to amend them to alter the existing hours of opening.
Is the Minister of State aware that a number of very serious crimes were committed recently apparently by people returning home drunk late and from discoes and other functions for which an extension of the licensing laws was granted? Is the Minister also aware that there is a very high incidence of vandalism when people are returning home from discoes which have had the benefit of extensions? Does he consider that perhaps the costs exceed the benefits of allowing drinking at that late hour?
Serious crimes do not just occur when people are returning from discoes late at night or whatever.
I did not say they did.
The fact is that the licensing laws — to which some slight amendments were effected in recent years — by and large have obtained for more than half a century, have operated reasonably well and maintained a reasonable equilibrium between clubs, hotels and discoes on the one hand and ordinary public houses on the other. I would point out to Deputy Bruton that the advisory council on health promotion, at the request of the Government, is currently formulating a national alcohol policy which we hope to have to hand very shortly. That council may be giving consideration to this among other matters. I am eagerly awaiting the result of their deliberations which I will study closely. We will see what recommendations will be made in relation to the licensing laws.
Would the Minister agree to undertake a study of the hours of the day when vandalism is most likely to occur? Would he agree it is possible he will discover — if he undertakes such a study — that a great amount of the vandalism perpetrated on public property occurs between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and may well be caused by people overladen with alcohol returning home from functions for which an extension was granted?
As I have not yet undertaken the study I cannot say what I will find. I will be studying the recommendations of the advisory council on health promotion who I am sure will advert to this. We shall talk to the Garda about the statistics on damage being caused to public property. I have no objection to doing so.
Is the Minister aware that I have written to his Minister asking her to institute a study of the hours at which vandalism is most likely to occur? Can he indicate whether he will ask the Garda to carry out such a study in order to discover whether there is a correlation between vandalism and late-night drinking?
That matter is being discussed continuously by the Minister and the Garda. We will ask the Garda to carry out such a study.
Would the Minister agree that problems associated with alcohol have to do more with drinking habits and the pattern of drinking here rather than necessarily the licensing hours? Would he agree, particularly in relation to visitors who find our licensing laws very restrictive, we need to take a more liberal attitude to licensing hours rater than the more conservative one advocated by Deputy John Bruton?
There are two sides to every story; that is the other side of the story.
Of course, Deputy Harney is wrong.