Mr. Padraig Cribben:

Yes, it is a major issue in rural areas. A number of things have happened.

A lot of publicans, on their own initiative, provide the service to their customers. They bring them home at night and, in some cases, drive around to collect them which poses its own challenges, particularly on quiet nights of which there are many during the week. For example, individuals will want to go in different directions, they will not want to leave at the same time and there may be nobody to mind the shop. Therefore, it is a major challenge.

We have engaged with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. The rural hackney initiative is in its infancy but is beginning to take off. We are not sure to what extent it will be successful but at least it is a step in the right direction. Transport is a major challenge. In villages, not so much towns, and other more rural areas there is no transport infrastructure during the day so one is certainly not going to have it at night. A lot of publicans have met the challenge by doing their own thing. I hope the new rural hackney licences that were introduced in quarter 2 of this year will be of help. If so it will be a help rather than a solution.