Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----in the matter of this tourism initiative. I stated earlier, and I restate strongly now, that I am not minded to opening up a new category of off-licence in the State. I say that with particular reference to the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill and the utterances, and the disposition, of Members of all parties in this House. I am surprised at the contradictions in the parties' positions on these two Bills. I am being asked to liberalise the off-licence regime on the one hand and, on the other hand, my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, is being exhorted to control and restrict the sale of alcohol.

I see a contradiction in that and am surprised that Members opposite do not appear to see it.

Amendment No. 6 seeks to extend the scope of the Bill to permit off sales to members of the public who have not participated in a tour of the premises, in other words, drop-in sales, the picking up of the few six-packs, not by tourists. I do not know any tourists who are going to drop by on a Friday evening and pick up a few six-packs for the lads for the party or the stag, or whatever is being conducted in the parish that weekend. I am not inclined to extend the scope of the Bill to facilitate such sales.

Amendments Nos. 9 and 10 by Deputy Clare Daly have a similar purpose. They are not acceptable because to my mind they depart from the core purpose of the Bill, which is to facilitate tourists and the tourism industry, like the experience Deputy Breathnach has described abroad, although not in Dundalk or north Louth.

Amendment No. 7 has been withdrawn and there is something of a composite proposal which has met with the Ceann Comhairle's approval. I am conscious of the fact that his approval was given to a number of amendments in recent times that did not transpire to be what on the face of it they should have been.

Amendment No. 8, tabled by Deputies Wallace and Daly-----

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