Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

To be fair, the Minister is a supporter of the breweries. The people involved in the 12 Acres Brewing Company have said so. Having listened to what was discussed on Committee Stage, the breweries and, to be honest, what our colleagues in the House have been telling us, we are trying to improve the legislation. This is a small Bill which I was glad to sponsor. I thank the Minister's colleagues in his Department for working with me on it. We need to get it through the Seanad by the week after next in order that it can have an impact on the hundreds of jobs affected in many parts of rural Ireland, a number that has the potential to grow into the thousands.

I thank Deputy Mick Wallace for the compromise which would see the House accepting amendment No. 2 in my name - Deputy Clare Daly and I have similar amendments - to allow for off-sales. It combines with amendment No. 6. I will accept Deputy Clare Daly's amendment to my amendment on a closing time of 7 p.m.

This is common sense. The Minister goes to his local brewery and I go to mine. There are four in County Tipperary. I could go to the White Gypsy Brewery or the like on a Friday evening and pick up a six-pack for a barbecue at the weekend. I have been there 20 times and I am hardly going to take a tour every time I go back just to buy a box of my favourite beer. It would not make sense. I ask the Minister to accept the amendment. All we are doing is accepting his amendments by changing the Bill to allow off-sales to locals which will be modest in scope without also having to take a tour. Taking a tour would remain a requirement for on-sales. The finishing time would also be changed to 7 p.m. I hope we can send the Bill to the Seanad next week - the Leader of the Upper House, Senator Jerry Buttimer, has been facilitatory - and allow the industry to grow.

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