Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

Newspapers have reported that Deputies are acquiescent to publicans but the latter live and work in the country. I received only one representation on this Bill and a number of people were supportive of it. We must ask where we are heading. If we are heading towards the scenario to which I referred, we will face a dangerous problem.

Everybody has to live and take responsibility. In response to representations from many sources over the years, we extended the opening hours of pubs. I am not sure that was a great idea. If our population is not sufficiently mature to handle that, it may have been the wrong decision.

When I first entered this House, there were few, if any, off-licences in the country. A campaign was started to develop the off-licence industry, with the result that in some parts of the country publicans close their pubs and operate off-licences instead because the latter provides a solid trade. Alcohol is not consumed on the premises, so it is economically beneficial for the publican. The consequences, however, can be disastrous. I do not propose to set out the number of occasions on which a tragedy occurred in the aftermath of large purchases of alcohol from off-licences or supermarkets. I do not understand why no reference is made to the connection between road traffic accidents and the amount of alcohol consumed in private houses. No consideration is given to whether the alcohol is readily available in an uncontrolled environment, where a half bottle could be the same as a half a glass. That is a hugely important aspect of the matter under consideration.

Extraordinary and disgraceful actions are taking place in conjunction with the consumption of alcohol and, in many cases, drugs. There is little emphasis on the role of drugs in road traffic accidents. Some of us raised this issue several years ago but nobody bothered to listen. It is said that alcohol is equal to illicit drugs. It is a habit-forming drug but the difference is that few people use violence to obtain money for alcohol.

The Leas-Cheann Comhairle is looking at me as if my time is running out.

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