Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

The main purpose of this short Bill is to make provision for an intoxicating liquor licence for the new national convention centre at Spencer Dock in Dublin. Similar legislation was enacted in 1983 to provide a fit-for-purpose licence for the National Concert Hall at Earlsfort Terrace.

Before moving on to the detail of the Bill, I want to highlight the importance of business tourism to our economy. The most recent data from the Central Statistics Office indicate that approximately 1 million business visits were made to Ireland in 2009 and evidence suggests that the typical business tourist spends more during his stay here than the non-business tourist. Research carried out by Fáilte Ireland in 2009 indicates that, on average, each business tourist generates about €1,400 in revenue during the time spent in Ireland.

Conferences and events are an important part of the overall business tourism market. Last year, Fáilte Ireland provided financial support for 122 conferences, with a combined value of over €80 million. However, while we now have the required availability of high-quality hotel accommodation, the absence of a dedicated national conference centre has for some years been identified as a shortcoming restricting our ability to fully exploit the potential to expand business tourism.

In 2002, An Agreed Programme for Government contained a commitment to construct amodern national conference centre. In 2003, under the direction of a steering group, the Office of Public Works published a notice inviting expressions of interest for the provision of such a conference centre in the Dublin area. Following a complex and detailed appraisal process, the contract for the provision of the national conference centre was awarded to Spencer Dock Convention Centre Dublin limited in April 2007. Under a public-private partnership arrangement similar to that under which the criminal courts complex was completed, the company is required to design, build and finance the national conference centre and to operate and maintain it for a period of 25 years, after which the facility will revert to the State. In return, when construction of the centre is complete and open for business, the State will pay an annual charge, the maximum total cost of which over 25 years will be just under €380 million in present-day values.

The new conference centre, which will be known and marketed as "The Convention Centre Dublin", is due to open on 1 September next. It will be capable of accommodating up to 2,000 delegates in plenary session and have 22 other multi-purpose meeting rooms. It will have approximately 4,500 sq. m of flexible exhibition and banqueting space, along with associated press and delegate support facilities and general utility spaces.

It has been estimated that the convention centre will, when fully operational, generate about 30,000 extra visitors to Ireland per year, and associated annual foreign revenue earnings of between €25 million and €50 million. I understand a total of 29 international events involving over 236,000 delegate days has already been secured for the centre. These events include meetings of the International Bar Association, comprising 4,000 delegates, the International Statistics Institute, comprising 3,000 delegates, and the International Conference on Emergency Medicine, comprising over 2,000 delegates.

To compete on an equal footing with comparable conference venues in other countries, it will be important that a full range of conference facilities be available. The purpose of this Bill is to provide a fit-for-purpose intoxicating liquor licence for the new facility. In view of the projected opening of the convention centre on 1 September, it is urgent that a new licence be put in place and I am grateful to the Opposition for facilitating speedy consideration and enactment of the Bill. We have until towards the end of June but I acknowledge and thank the Opposition for suggesting that this Bill could be considered in full today in the Dáil, thus allowing it to be considered in the Seanad.

Section 1 provides for the issuing by the Revenue Commissioners of a licence that will permit the sale and consumption of intoxicating liquor at events that will be held in the new convention centre. The proposed licence is not the equivalent of an ordinary seven-day alcohol licence. Under the proposed licence, alcohol may only be sold to, and consumed by, those attending or taking part in an event in the centre. Sales of alcohol to members of the public will not be permitted. Moreover, subsection (4) provides that the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport will make regulations prescribing the actual areas in the convention centre in which such sale and consumption may take place.

An important distinction is being made in the Bill between what is called a "convention event" and a "non-convention event". The former is defined as a conference, congress, convention, seminar or symposium, held in and involving the use of some or all of the conference facilities of the convention centre, and includes a reception, dinner, banquet or stage show held as part of such an event involving the use of some or all of the facilities of the convention centre. When such an event is taking place, the Bill will permit the sale of alcohol to those attending or taking part in it during the period beginning one hour before it commences, but not earlier than 10.30 a.m., and ending one hour after it concludes or at midnight, whichever is the earlier. However, where a reception, dinner, banquet or stage show is being held that is part of a conference, congress, convention, seminar or symposium, the sale and consumption of alcohol may continue until 2.00 a.m. In such cases, there will be no requirement to apply to the District Court for a special exemption order.

To facilitate use of the convention centre's facilities at times during which convention events are not taking place, the PPP agreement permits the holding of what the Bill refers to as a "non-convention event". A "non-convention event" is defined as a trade fair - this might be a fair open to members of the public or confined to a specific economic or services sector - a live sports event, or a reception, dinner, banquet or stage show that is not held as part of a conference, congress, convention, seminar or symposium.

When such a non-convention event is taking place in the convention centre, the sale and consumption of alcohol will be subject to the normal licensing hours set out in section 2 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1927, as amended. Moreover, any extension beyond normal licensing hours for a non-convention event will require a special exemption of the District Court and the normal conditions, for example, advance notice to the Garda, will apply. These provisions will ensure that there is no distortion of competition between the Convention Centre and other venues capable of holding non-convention events.

Section 2 amends section 1,094 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 by providing for tax clearance of the applicant as a condition for the issue of the licence. Section 3contains the standard commencement and interpretation provisions. It is intended that the Bill shall come into operation immediately upon enactment.

I commend the short Bill to the House and thank the Opposition spokespersons for addressing it. It was originally intended to consider the content of the Bill as part of the civil law (miscellaneous provisions) Bill, which is a more comprehensive Bill. At the suggestion of the Opposition, and given the fact that there were issues pertaining to the latter Bill that might require further consideration, I agreed to deal with the convention centre by way of an independent Bill, thus allowing us to discuss the civil law provisions at a later stage. I hope that, with the co-operation of the Opposition, we can do so as quickly as possible. We are ready to do so.

I understand the convention centre is all but finished and kitted out so everything is on time. It is appropriate that we respond as we are doing and agree to this legislation.

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