Vol. 577 No. 5
184 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding the recommendations of the Competition Authority in their study of the liquor licensing laws presented to his predecessor in 1998; his views on the recommendations of the Competition Authority; if he has satisfied himself with the progress in implementing the recommendations; and the reasons for the non-implementation of recommendations made. [31904/03]
The Commission on Liquor Licensing was established in November 2000 to review the liquor licensing system and to make recommendations for a liquor licensing system geared to meeting the needs of consumers in a competitive market environment while taking due account of the social, health and economic interests of a modern society. The members of the commission represented a broad range of relevant interests, including a representative of the Competition Authority.
The commission completed its work in March last having submitted four reports containing over 130 recommendations. Arising from these recommendations, preparatory work on a codification of the Licensing Acts 1833 to 2003 is under way in my Department. My intention is that an outline of the codification Bill will be available by mid-2004.
Legislative reforms recommended both by the commission and the strategic task force on alcohol will be considered in the context of the codification Bill. My Department is currently consulting with a broad range of relevant bodies as part of the process of preparing the new legislation. A meeting with the Competition Authority has already taken place and further discussions will be held as the need arises.
