Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak on this Bill on behalf of Fianna Fáil and our spokesperson, Deputy O'Callaghan. The Bill's Title and that it is a 2016 Bill reflects the frustration of the micro-breweries in that many of them, certainly those in my constituency, have been champing at the bit in that regard and we had hoped this legislation would have been passed before the Houses adjourned for the summer recess last year.

We all accept the need to regulate the breweries and distilleries, but we also need to recognise that they create massive employment, certainly in my region. I cannot help but think of the late Dr. Pearse Lyons of Alltech who put the craft brewing industry on the map in Ireland. In my area alone we have the Carlingford Brewing Company, the Listoke Distillery and Gin School, the Dundalk Bay Brewing Company and our infamous Cooley Distillery. This speaks volumes about the huge opportunities for food trails. The Boyne Valley food trail has been hugely successful and these brewhouses and distilleries are part of that. Add in the opportunities for employment and tourism and it is a much heralded and needed industry in my region and across the State. Microbrewing is seven times more labour intensive than that of the larger operations. This helps to create further employment, especially in rural communities scattered across the country.

The Bill reflects the delay and I want to see this Bill passed. We are already reaching the height of the tourism season and another summer cannot be lost. I hope there will be full consensus in the House and that we can do justice to the industry before the early afternoon today.

While we are all cognisant of the need to reduce alcohol consumption the Bill is clearly not about promoting consumption. It aims to support the craft brewers and the distillers and to allow them an appropriate licence for the sale pursuant to such a licence of alcohol for consumption on their premises. As other Deputies have said, while the concept of having the tour of the brewery is all important I firmly believe in the need to allow people to buy on the premises without necessarily having taken the tour. I am quite sure that the Minister's Department officials are conscious of the regulations and know about the types of consumption on and off premises, but this provision would allow a purchase to be done with the singular visit and then people can obviously call back or recommend by word of mouth a place where people can buy quantities of the product that would not distort the market for the major players in this industry.

Having heard the debate in the Chamber last night on this group of amendments I expect there will be consensus across the House on Deputies Daly, Kelly and Wallace's amendments and we can get agreement on them. They are very close together.

I compliment Deputy Alan Kelly. I recall that this time last year the brewing companies right across the country met here in Dublin and were - for want of a better word - all brewed up in expectation that the Intoxicating Liquor (Breweries and Distilleries) Bill 2016 would happen this season. I do not believe we need to further delay it. I certainly commend the Bill. I hope we can get cross-party consensus for putting the Bill onto the Statue Book.

See this speech in context