Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the middle of acute crises in housing and health, as well as the total mess the Government has made of the refugee situation, have the Taoiseach and the Cabinet nothing better to do than try to undermine and destroy publicans throughout the country? That is what the Government is doing with its proposals for late openings up to the morning in cities and big places, opening the pubs earlier in the morning in the country and deregulating the licences. That is what I understand the Government is trying to do. That was needed one time with the taxi regulations but we saw what happened after that. These are family businesses in many cases have that have given excellent service for generations and support their communities in every way. It looks like the Government is going to give a licence to anybody to have a bar now. Has the Government nothing else to do, with the crimes statistics and everything else, only come up with these mad proposals in a time of crisis? Is it just a distraction it is trying to create? The Taoiseach has six weeks left in office. Is that going to be his legacy, that he will not deal with any of the serious problems but will bring in all the sideline stuff that nobody wants and nobody is interested in? It is only going to destroy our young people and our countryside.

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