Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A couple of things occurred to me as I was listening to the contributions of Deputies on this legislation while waiting for the debate on the Electoral (Amendment) (Hours of Polling) Bill 2013, in my name, to begin. Deputy Cowen's Bill, which is very welcome, has opened a discussion that we need to have. It raises fundamental issues with regard to valuation legislation and licensing legislation. It is said that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Maybe we should look at the licensing laws because, in most cases, the licences that apply to clubs are the same as the licences held by the owners of commercial premises whose incomes depend fully on their businesses. Such people have to pay staff and commercial rates, as everyone has said, whereas clubs generally have voluntary staff and shared overheads. To be fair, Martin Cullen raised a valid point when he tried to contend with this dilemma on behalf of a previous Government in 2001.

I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this Bill. The main point I want to make is that we should look at licensing laws in general. Perhaps an alternative type of limited licence should be given to not-for-profit groups that have facilities that are not designed to be in competition with local licensed premises. It could be like the system that prevailed when the courts were allowed to grant a limited number of pub licence extensions each year to facilitate late opening during festivals and other events. I suggest that an amendment could be made to the licensing laws rather than the valuation law to resolve this difficulty. Valuation law could be examined thereafter, when there would be no suggestion that licences granted to community sporting organisations could be used over time to allow them to compete with local commercial premises.

I am aware of some clubs that removed the bar licences they used to have in their clubhouses because they were losing money. This happened some years ago before the serious financial and economic downturn we experienced more recently. They had to give up their licences, even though they had voluntary staff, because their turnover was not justifying the extra costs on the premises. I am aware there are arrangements that allow local licensed premises to transfer their licences to clubs occasionally. I am arguing that we should put as much focus on licensing legislation as on valuation legislation. Deputy Cowen's Bill has started an interesting debate. I do not think there is a Member of the House who is unsympathetic to the rationale and the motives behind it. I think we should re-examine this matter. Perhaps the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality or the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht or a combined sub-committee could do so. I thank Deputy Cowen again. I also thank the Acting Chairman for allowing me to speak.

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