Mr. Sunil Sharpe:

It is difficult for us speak on behalf of the publicans. I would see this more as an opportunity for them. Their industry has been shrinking over the years but I would like to think that it will stabilise and we will not see the end of the Irish pub. Nobody wants to see that happen. At the same time, they need to modernise. One great advantage they have is that they are still sitting on spaces that are at a premium. If they have the vision, they can better utilise their spaces. It is entirely up to them. As I said, I cannot speak on their behalf.

I have met one of Deputy Ó Snodaigh's brothers. We used to stock his CD, Tóg É go Bog É.It was a bestseller.

In terms of musicians, we are based in the late night industry. I am also an educator. I teach in the Bray Institute of Further Education, where I teach many upcoming musicians and DJs. In the last five years, they have had no outlet for their music. They are being told, a lot of the time by pub owners who are the ones who have function rooms and space, that it is prohibitively expensive to hold music events. In addition, people who want to hold a small party or an event for their friends must place an expensive charge on the door and if they do not get adequate numbers of people in, that is their dream finished. We need to keep the focus on young people. It is easy for politicians to focus on their constituents if they are pub owners or nightclub owners and to forget about it when they get a bit older and no longer have an issue arising. This is also about young people and our creative communities. We have to hold them highly in all of this.

On the 24-hour licence, the only place that I could see that working right now would be in Dublin. Twenty-four hour licensing is like having a blank canvass. It does not mean that everywhere will remain open for 24 hours. We can provide the committee with greater plans in terms of our mixed venue licence idea.

It would be close to a 24-hour model but that does not mean 24-hour licensing for alcohol.