Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 Oct 1998

Vol. 495 No. 4

Written Answers. - Licensing Laws.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

The Competition Authority announced on 30 January 1997 that it had decided to invoke its powers under section 11 of the Competition Act, 1991, (as amended in 1996), to commence a study of the Irish drinks market looking at a broad range of issues within the market, including barriers to entry and the impact of the licensing laws on the structure of and behaviour in the market.

The authrority published its report on 23 September last and sent a copy to me and to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. I welcome the authority's independent report, as I indicated in various public statements which I made at the time of the report's publication. Implementation of the recommendations contained in the Competition Authority's report is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy O'Donoghue. I have written to him, informing him that I fully accept the conclusions of the Competition Authority's study which point overwhelmingly to the need to overhaul the current liquor licensing system in the interests of consumers and competition, and urging him to examine the relevant legislation and proceed with proposals for the necessary legislative repeals and changes required to implement the authority's recommendations as a matter of urgency.