The Joint Committee on Justice will meet for Pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the Sale of Alcohol Bill 2022

The Committee will hear from representatives from:

·        The Licensed Vintners Association

·        Give Us The Night

·        Vintners’ Federation of Ireland 

·        Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland 

·        Music and Entertainment Association of Ireland 

·        Department of Justice

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy James Lawless TD said “our first public meeting back after the recess will see the Committee meet for scrutiny on the Sale of Alcohol Bill 2022 which was unveiled by Minister Helen McEntee TD in October last year.

The Bill will lead to the creation of a single piece of modern legislation to regulate the sale of alcohol. The Bill represents an effort to strike a balance between maintaining the current approach to licensing the sale of alcohol, whilst simultaneously supporting the night-time culture and the wider economy around hospitality. 

As Cathaoirleach of this Justice Committee, with this legislation our aim is to ensure that the Irish licensing system meets the needs of modern society and brings Irish night-time culture into step with modern European cities. The diversity of the stakeholders attending this first public meeting on the Bill demonstrates how this affects a broad range of people and our Committee looks forward to hearing from all involved.” 

The meeting can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Read more on the work done by the Justice Committee 

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.