Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy Alan Kelly on bringing this forward as it is a good idea and makes sense. It addresses an area which has been ignored. The development of small craft breweries is a new phenomenon in Ireland, though not so new in Europe, and it is good that we address it.

I have a vested interest. First, Wallace wine bars only sell craft beer. At the beginning we imported beers from Italy but we now use a lot of Irish beer because they are getting better and better and brewers in Ireland are getting better at what they are doing all the time, which is brilliant. My son, Fionn, is also building a brewery so it would be remiss not to declare my interest in this topic.

The Bill is a little bit fuzzy and we need to clean it up a bit. I am aware that there have been challenges in bringing the Bill forward but I prefer Deputy Kelly's initial Bill to the one with the amendments. I am not suggesting massive changes but I hope that, on Report Stage, we might address some anomalies. The Government amendments would effectively replace the Bill as initiated, and, at the same time, if accepted would make my amendments null and void. It would make for legislation that would only serve a few large breweries and not give a financial boost to many of the microbreweries getting on their feet in this country in recent times.

I have four amendments to the Bill as initiated, namely, amendments Nos. 2 to 5, inclusive. Amendment No. 2 is addressed in the Government amendments in that winemakers would also be included in the new licence. The intention of amendment No. 3 is to do away with the necessity to have a guided tour in order to obtain this licence. I understand the Government's thinking on this matter but this provision is expanded and strengthened in the Government amendments, which would be to the detriment of microbreweries.

Amendment No. 4 would serve to extend the hours of the operation of this licence by one hour in order to allow for people to call by after work to buy beer from their local brewery, and also in order to allow the breweries to complete the brew in the morning on weekend days as this will most commonly be the time microbreweries have the opportunity to open up the brewery to the public while still having time to set up for visitors and get in a few hours of tasting for the beer tourists they attract. Is the Minister being a bit cynical?