Mr. Sunil Sharpe:

In our opening statement I alluded to and was quite clear about the fact there is a marked difference between a pub and a nightclub. Many people who would be operating in the later hours would still work normal shifts. They would go into work at about 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. and work shifts of six or eight hours. There should be no question of people working too many hours. Mr. O’Keeffe touched on it regarding staff who get into this industry. I am the same. We work in the night-time industry and know what we are getting into. That is not to say that those working at the bar, running these venues or working hands-on serving drinks are not in stressful, intensive jobs and working environments. If we separate it and look at the model for late-night venues, these will generally start at 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. A few different models will be needed around the country, some that will open from about 10 p.m. until 3 a.m., others that will open between 11 p.m. until 4 a.m. or thereabouts, and others that probably specialise in opening at 11 p.m. or even midnight and go through until 6 a.m. In all cases there will be shifts that will be more than reasonable.

The next question is about transport and who sorts that out, particularly in rural areas. Even in Dublin we see a great many employees who must wait around for a few hours on the premises before they can get early morning transport home. That is a fault of the Government for not providing enough public transport. That is probably another discussion.

In regard to the response from insurance companies, we have not heard anything back yet as to how much insurance premiums will be when this new nightclub permit comes in. They have already ballooned, as I mentioned, even quadrupled in some cases. It will be prohibitively expensive to enter the market, as Mr. O'Keeffe also mentioned.