Vol. 566 No. 1
650 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the Bill amending the licensing laws which he has proposed will be published; his plans to regulate the size of licensed premises in this legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11929/03]
My intentions regarding future changes in the licensing laws are as follows. The Commission on Liquor Licensing has advocated a codification of the entire intoxicating liquor code and I intend to act on this recommendation. The necessary preparatory work is under way in my Department. This codification will involve a consolidation of licensing law, which is currently spread across many statutes, into a single instrument as well as reforms based on the commission's recommendations and the valuable work of the strategic task force on alcohol. My intention is that the outline of the codification Bill will be available by mid-2004.
As regards the size of licensed premises, the Commission on Liquor Licensing has expressed concerns, which I share, regarding the recent proliferation of very large premises which create noise and nuisance for local residents and make compliance with and enforcement of the licensing laws much more difficult. The commission has recommended the creation of a new "small premises" licence for new entrants to the licensed trade as a means of countering this trend. This recommendation will also be considered as part of the codification exercise. Furthermore, while the commission did not propose imposing a statutory limit on the size of licensed premises, this is a matter which could also be explored in the context of drawing up legislation to give effect to the commission's recommendation. Following the submission in December last of the commission's report on admission and service in licensed premises, I announced that I would bring forward a package of legislative proposals to respond to the commission's urgent recommendations in relation to drunkenness and disorderly conduct on licensed premises. In the meantime, I have decided to enlarge this package to include legislative responses to certain recommendations set out in the commission's final report which was published last month. My intention is to bring the necessary proposals before Government in the coming weeks.
