Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am totally opposed to the removal of the requirement to extinguish a licence if someone new is opening up. I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. O'Keeffe and other witnesses who want this to be retained. I will let the committee know where I come from. I have lived in a pub all my life and I understand what publicans around Kerry and even in north west Cork and south west Cork are going through. Knocknagree had seven vibrant pubs but is now down to just one that is open throughout the week and one more that is open for two nights a week. If people want to sell alcohol, it is clear to me that they should have a licence to do so. Regarding getting it through some other means such as a cultural amenities or theatre licence, if they want to sell alcohol, they should have a licence to sell alcohol.

When we talk about what is happening in rural Ireland, no consideration was given to publicans when changes were made regarding off licences and supermarkets. We see more places like Knocknagree that have gone from three pubs to having just one. Places like Farranfore and Curragh have gone from having two pubs down to one. I could go through the whole lot.

This idea that someone could open up as a café or whatever name, maybe a chipper, is unfair to the publicans who regulate the measure of alcohol they give. Like someone said there, in many villages or communities they are the community hall where people meet and they provide space for IFA meetings, ICA meetings or whatever. I do not think the present Government gives too much talk about it but they provide space for politicians to have their clinics, whatever their political affiliation or political party.

No one in rural Kerry looked for this or asked for it. There is very little thought being given to enticing people to stay out until 6 o'clock in the morning. They will not be the better of that for three weeks, to be totally honest. That is being unfair to the publican and the ordinary punter. They need to go to work. We have to be fair about this. You cannot travel the roads in rural Ireland in a car. If you are a small bit above the limit, you are off the road for two or three years. There is no real thought being given to this. How many extra gardaí will be provided for these late-night venues and who is going to keep law and order at that time of the night?

The other thing that was mentioned by one of the earlier speakers is people working at that time of night. It is a different thing to go to work in the dark at night, at 11 o'clock or midnight, and not come home. You might have to wait somewhere for a couple of hours for a bus or a taxi or for someone to show up to take you home. People would have to be paid a lot more for that. I am against this Bill unless there are amendments made to it. Certainly the extinguishment of an existing licence has to be in a Bill that I will support. This is being unfair and it will be another nail in the coffin of publicans in rural Ireland if new entities are allowed open up beside them. They may not be too near them but it will draw their punters and customers away and make life harder for them to continue. The vast majority of publicans - 99% of them - run good houses and they have to obey the law. They have to renew their licences and I do not see why any other group or entity should not have to do that if they want to sell alcohol. If they want to have venues and a late night and they think they should not have to pay for a publican's licence, they should forget about selling alcohol. They should open the house with whatever other enticement to bring people in but if you need alcohol to bring the people in, you must have a publican's licence in the same way as other small publicans around rural Ireland. I see Deputy Smyth smiling. That is true, whether it is in her constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, Kerry, Cork or wherever. We have to be fair to the people who have stood the test of time, kept their communities going and kept their doors open to give people entertainment. Like the man from the entertainment sector, we are proud that these entertainers come into our pubs. Many of them started off in rural pubs and pubs in general.

That is why we can identify with them, because they are part of what publicans provide and have provided over the years.