Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

While I thank the Minister of State for his response, the matter gets more confusing every time somebody speaks on it. He stated, "This is often a delicate balance and there are different legal situations in different parts of the country depending on whether there are local authority by-laws in place." That is true, but is it the problem in this case? If it is, the local authority in Galway should be told to sort out the problem. However, towards the end of his response, the Minister of State made it clear that this may not be the case, and it might be a matter of primary law.

When gardaí visited a licensed premises in Galway, they must have known under what law they were doing so. It cannot be a great complex problem, because gardaí cannot approach anybody without having authority based in law. Will the Government introduce amending legislation to rectify the issue or is it saying unequivocally, without doubt, that it is a matter for the local authorities and their by-laws?

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