Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 24 March 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children

General Scheme of Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Discussion (Resumed)

3:30 pm

Mr. Padraic White:

In the case of petrol station forecourts, very often because they have a very small space, people see alcohol very close to other goods. The fact is that 180 forecourts are members of the RRAI. Three quarters of those licences are wine only. If one were to implement section 9 tomorrow, they would not be subject to any code or law because section 9 excludes wine. At present, they are under our code and I have the right and ability to enforce a degree of compliance in terms of separation. They would be home free if section 9 were implemented tomorrow because three quarters of their licences are not full licences, they are just wine only.