Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I too commend Deputy Kelly on bringing this Bill before this House. I am delighted to learn that he has the full backing of Fáilte Ireland.

As late as yesterday evening, I had the honour of being invited to the Jameson distillery on Bow Street along with Deputy Rock. We went on a tour of the history of the Jameson distillery to find out how its products are made and to go to a tasting session. We were brought into the shop afterwards to be shown the finished product that is for sale. I talked to people there, who are seeing increased numbers of people going through the premises, with the distillery having recently been refurbished and reopened. I am delighted that we can get some of these people down into rural Ireland and that is why I support this Bill. We have seen phenomenal growth of microbreweries and distilleries and I am delighted that Deputy Kelly has mentioned that he will probably extend the terms of reference in order that more operators can avail of this opportunity. Allowing on-site sale will help make these businesses more sustainable and, it is hoped, create more jobs down the road. I wholeheartedly support the rural pub industry and trade. I am delighted that there are restrictions on the opening hours of these operations. Even the daytime trading would be good enough to make it sustainable and viable. It is to be hoped the people who call at these businesses will also call into other businesses and attractions in those localities. That is why I would advise support of this Bill.

Another issue here is the tillage sector, as mentioned by Deputy Deering. We see the current crisis with prices for cereals. We would need more grain for more breweries, which would help to make the farming sector more sustainable. My own town, Mitchelstown, has a successful microbrewery called Eight Degrees, which is trading successfully. It feels that if it can get the tourists calling, it will help exports and help the business grow. We call to the wineries if we go abroad. We go into the winery or the farm, through the mechanism and we bring home a few bottles. We will probably go to the local off-licence or shop and see if we can find that wine again if we like it. That is why people leave their names in these businesses. The further people travel, the further we can export some of these products.

I thank my constituency colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy David Stanton, for speaking on behalf of the Government in support of this Bill. It is to be hoped we can bring it through Committee Stage as soon as possible, as Deputy Kelly requested. It is important we get this Bill through the Dáil as soon as possible to get these businesses up and running, to be stronger and have a firmer footing in the rural communities where they operate.

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