Mr. Donall O'Keeffe:

Absolutely. No good publican wants to have a pub full of customers who are out of control. That is not an attractive environment and business will worsen if that is the case. A publican wants to have an environment in which people can enjoy themselves and have a few drinks. It is a social environment and it should be fun to be in it. That is what good publicans strive to achieve.

Since the abolition of the groceries order, we have seen a fundamental shift in patterns of consumption from the on-trade to the off-trade. When I joined the Licensed Vintners Association ten years ago, 70% of all alcohol was consumed in pubs and hotels. Today, 60% is accounted for by the off-trade, while 40% is consumed in pubs and hotels. That will shift to 70%:30% in the next five years. We have public health issues because of the changing nature of consumption at home, as well as a changing product mix. As people shift from pubs to the off-trade, they shift from beer to wine and spirits. There are different public health concerns as a result. The pub trade is absolutely the best environment in which to consume alcohol and good publicans take their responsibilities seriously.

Under the law, there are enforcement mechanisms. Every year we see a publican or two or three in trouble with the Garda because of public order problems in enforcement. That does not apply to off-trade sales. Sanctions under the RRAI code are non-existent. What is the penalty for not complying with the code?