Sale of Alcohol Bill will “inevitably increase” public order challenges, says doctor

The proposed Sale of Alcohol Bill, which would allow nightclubs to open until 6am, would “undoubtedly” challenge public order and safety in Ireland, a leading public health consultant has warned.

Dr Mary O’Mahony, a member of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) public health committee, said that a change in licensing laws would increase violence both in homes and on our streets.

Speaking on Newstalk today, Dr O’Mahony said the Bill would lead to an increase in the “consumption of alcohol and the harms of alcohol.”

Her comments came as Justice Minister Helen McEntee said that some licensing laws in Ireland date back to 1880, and that the new bill focuses on “streamlining laws and allowing people to run their business more effectively.”

The legislation, which would allow nightclubs to remain open until 6am, was set to be enacted by this summer, however has faced delays and criticism from some TDs.

“It will increase the consumption of alcohol and the harms of alcohol,” she said.

“Our population has a lot of harm from alcohol already but increasing availability and the hours it can be sold will inevitably increase public order.

“There will be more violence on our streets and in our homes.”

“In Ireland, we have one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption per capita in the world and we need to reduce that,” she added.

“Our alcohol consumption per capita at the minute is about 9.9 litres and if the average person was to adhere to guidance, they would need to come down to about 6.8 litres per annum.

“In 2021 we had 58,000 births in Ireland and it’s estimated 500 of these babies had foetal alcohol syndrome and another 2,700 were born with a foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.”

Dr O’Mahony said that the Sale of Alcohol bill should be subject to a public health impact assessment before becoming law.

“If you are introducing a policy measure that will have an impact on the health of the population, I think you do need to look at the costs and benefits of it to make sure the benefits outweigh the cost involved,” the doctor said, adding that the Bill would increase pressure on Gardai, emergency departments, and ambulance services nationwide.

“I think for any major intervention, such as a review of licensing legislation, that it has to have a health impact assessment.”

Last week, Minister McEntee said that the Bill “intends to modernise our existing licensing laws in line with the expectations and needs of today’s society, and to encourage the development of a modern and diverse night-time economy.

“The proposed legislation endeavours to strike a balance between maintaining strict controls and safeguards in relation to the sale of alcohol, while providing support to those involved in our night time economy,” she said on 20 March, in response to a question by TD Mairead Farrell.

“Given the known social and health effects associated with misuse of alcohol, Ireland has, for many decades, operated a restrictive regime for licensing.

“The General Scheme of the bill retains that approach and will ensure that the sale of alcohol remains closely regulated,” Minister McEntee said.

She said that a consultation process had “demonstrated that there is a strong demand for reform and modernisation of the law in this area.” Minister McEntee said she hoped to bring the legislation before the Houses of the Oireachtas “shortly.”

While the Bill has received strong support, it has also received sharp criticism. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae has been among backbenchers who have reacted with skepticism to the Bill.

Speaking last year, Deputy Healy Rae said that as someone “who has lived in a pub all my life” he was “totally opposed” to the removal of the requirement to extinguish a license if someone new is opening up. Healy-Rae said that he “understood” what publicans in Kerry and Cork were experiencing, telling the Dail:

“Knocknagree had seven vibrant pubs but is now down to just one that is open throughout the week and one more that is open for two nights a week.

“If people want to sell alcohol, it is clear to me that they should have a licence to do so. Regarding getting it through some other means such as a cultural amenities or theatre licence, if they want to sell alcohol, they should have a licence to sell alcohol.

He also said that publicans were not being considered in the changes.

“When we talk about what is happening in rural Ireland, no consideration was given to publicans when changes were made regarding off licences and supermarkets.

“We see more places like Knocknagree that have gone from three pubs to having just one. Places like Farranfore and Curragh have gone from having two pubs down to one. I could go through the whole lot.”

Deputy Healy-Rae also criticised the proposal in the Bill to allow nightclubs to open until 6am, saying “no real thought had been given” to the prospect.

“No one in rural Kerry looked for this or asked for it,” the TD said.

“There is very little thought being given to enticing people to stay out until 6 o’clock in the morning. They will not be the better of that for three weeks, to be totally honest. That is being unfair to the publican and the ordinary punter. 

“They need to go to work. We have to be fair about this. You cannot travel the roads in rural Ireland in a car. If you are a small bit above the limit, you are off the road for two or three years. There is no real thought being given to this.

“How many extra gardaí will be provided for these late-night venues and who is going to keep law and order at that time of the night?” he asked.

The Rural TD also joined a number of TDs in saying that consideration was not being given to people working at that time of night. 

“You might have to wait somewhere for a couple of hours for a bus or a taxi or for someone to show up to take you home. People would have to be paid a lot more for that. I am against this Billunless there are amendments made to it.

“Certainly the extinguishment of an existing licence has to be in a Bill that I will support. 

“This is being unfair and it will be another nail in the coffin of publicans in rural Ireland if new entities are allowed to open up beside them. They may not be too near them but it will draw their punters and customers away and make life harder for them to continue,” the Kerry TD told the Dáil last year.