Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I move:

That Dáil Éireann resolves that the period of operation of sections 1 to 7 and 9 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 (No. 14 of 2021) be extended for a period of 6 months, beginning on the 1st day of June, 2025 and ending on the 30th day of November, 2025.

Five years ago, we were all caught up in the events that arose from Covid. It had a remarkable impact, not just on the lives of Irish people but also in terms of the way business was done throughout the country. It also impacted the way business was done in this House. I do not look back on that time with any great enjoyment. It was a difficult time for the Irish people. It was also a difficult time for Members of the Oireachtas.

It will be recalled, however, that during that pandemic significant legislation was introduced by this House to respond to the real challenges faced. One group that faced enormous challenges were those in the hospitality sector. Owners saw their businesses closed overnight. The pandemic had very serious consequences for them in terms of profits and just in terms of keeping their businesses going. Fortunately, though, the State entered into the equation and provided significant and worthwhile supports that kept many of those businesses going. A year after Covid was identified, significant and decent efforts were made to try to get businesses back to normal and everyone's lives back to normal. One of the mechanisms by which we dealt with that effort was the enactment in these Houses of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021. It allowed the hospitality sector to continue to provide the sale and supply of intoxicating liquor in outdoor seating areas.

The pandemic meant that much of the legislation enacted at that time contained what were referred to as sunset clauses. They were included because no one in this House or outside it knew when the pandemic was going to come to an end and when we would be able to revert to ordinary life. As a result, it was decided that the clauses could be renewed every six months by the Houses of the Oireachtas. As Members will be aware, those resolutions were effected and carried by both Houses of the Oireachtas in November 2021, May 2022, November 2022, May 2023, November 2023, May 2024 and October 2024. I am here again seeking to have an extension to this sunset clause for another six months so the hospitality sector can continue to enjoy the benefits of outdoor hospitality. I hope this will be the last time that I or indeed any other Minister for Justice has to seek a resolution extending the sunset clause. It is probably the case that this will be the final or the penultimate extension sought by a Minister for Justice because earlier this week I secured leave from the Government to introduce and publish the general scheme of a criminal justice miscellaneous provisions Bill 2025. It will contain a provision that will in effect make permanent the provision we are seeking to renew here for another six months.

I am asking that this measure be rolled over for another six months because it will be to the benefit of the hospitality sector. It will also be to the benefit of people who engage and go to restaurants or pubs and want to sit outside having drinks or food. It has transformed very many of our towns and cities. It has been a positive development. It is not often we get great weather in Ireland, but in fairness to the Irish people when we do get good weather we prefer to socialise outside, particularly if we are enjoying a libation or some food. It is also important from the perspective of An Garda Síochána that its members know what is happening outdoors in terms of hospitality is lawful. This is why the renewed resolution is important as well. The Government considers it to be in the public interest to provide for the sale or supply of intoxicating liquor in certain circumstances in seating areas located outside licensed premises. It allows licensees of such premises to conduct business and to operate in these outdoor seating areas. It is important to extend this operational period for another six months so the hospitality sector and the Garda will have certainty. This is what I am here to seek. I am asking for the support of the House to roll over this resolution for another six months. As I said, I hope this will be the last time I am here. It is dependent on me getting the criminal justice (miscellaneous provisions) Bill 2025 enacted by November. I cannot guarantee that but I hope it will be the case.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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As the Minister said, the motion seeks to extend the provision for the consumption of alcohol in relevant outdoor seating as provided for in the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act for another six months until the end of November. The Act introduced changes in the law to allow for the sale and consumption of alcohol in relevant outdoor seating areas where those outdoor seating areas had been permitted by the local authorities on public land or were on private land next to the licensed premises.

While Sinn Féin supports the extension of this legislation, there is something dysfunctional about the fact that five years on from the start of the Covid pandemic we are dealing with extending a provision of an Act that was effectively emergency legislation brought in during the pandemic. The simple fact is that the Government should have regularised the position in respect of outdoor seating areas on a permanent basis long before now. I know it has been indicated that this will be done but there is no good reason for it to have taken so long.

These provisions are good for the hospitality sector and should be supported. We have witnessed how outdoor seating in hospitality can breathe life into many streets and town centres. That is a positive thing without question, although we also have to be cognisant of other businesses in areas. It also gives us a glimpse of what might be possible if we do more to revitalise urban communities, rural towns and villages. The approach to this issue should not be taken in isolation. We need a wider plan for how we make villages, towns and cities better places to live, work and to visit; how we support a vibrant hospitality sector; how we ensure that villages, towns and cities are safer and more welcoming places; how we invest in public spaces and amenities; how we help small local businesses to get started and to thrive; how we ensure there are proper public services, including access to GP services, good public transport and enough gardaí; and how we ensure that towns have amenities like swimming pools and youth clubs.

Unfortunately, the policies of successive Governments have hollowed out our villages, rural towns and city centres. This week I held a public meeting in my home town of Carrickmacross to allow local people air their concerns about community safety and other issues. Despite being invited, An Garda Síochána, council executive staff and other political representatives from other parties failed to take the opportunity to come to listen and respond to those concerns. Like many towns, Carrickmacross has been a great town and continues to have businesses and local community organisations doing their best to make the town the best possible place to live, work and raise a family. The town has some unique challenges but it also faces issues that are familiar to many areas. Local services have closed down. Local authorities have been underfunded. The abolition of the town council was one of the most stupid and counterproductive political decisions in modern times. Businesses have closed under the pressure of rising operating costs, including energy and insurance costs, and little or nothing has been done to address those rising costs. Small local shops have gone too, replaced sometimes by large supermarkets on the edges of towns. We had the closure of Bose, a significant employer in our area, and in 2019 to much fanfare, the then Minister for enterprise cut a ribbon and claimed credit for 60 new jobs that would come to that Bose site. Those jobs never came, and subsequent Ministers have hidden from any accountability since. We learned this week that factory is up for sale again. Some of the most prominent buildings in our town centre lie idle. There was a time when any good sized local town had a cinema, theatre and hotels. People lived in the centre of the town above shops, some family businesses thrived for generations and people knew their local gardaí. This is no longer the case. It is crucial that our towns do not shut and just become departed after 6 p.m. In addition to ensuring people can actually live in our towns and villages, it means supporting a vibrant night-time economy. For this to work, people need to feel safe going into our towns and cities at night. That will not be the case unless we have enough gardaí to police our streets and ensure there is a visible Garda presence.

Dereliction simply should not be tolerated nor should slum landlords. They damage the fabric of our towns and villages. Sinn Féin has been raising this for a long time. It should not be tolerated at any time but it certainly should not be tolerated in the middle of a housing crisis. If the Government values our communities and those people who hold them together, who coach our children's sports teams, who run our youth clubs, who organise local festivals, who are part of Tidy Towns committees, who care for the elderly and isolated, then Government must support them by investing in local facilities and amenities. People should not have to fight and campaign for basic amenities such as recreational or sports facilities and safe town centres. It is time for proper investment and rejuvenation of towns and villages. That includes investment in public spaces, tackling dereliction and ensuring proper services and facilities are in place. What that means for Carrickmacross and towns like it is supporting businesses that bring vibrancy and commercial activity back to the urban centres. In our town and lots of others we have too many vape shops and mobile phone repair shops. What we need is a proper mix of amenity and businesses in our town centres. They need support for that to happen.

There is a serious problem. If, for example, a local business team wants to bring a night club or another activity to a vacant business in Carrickmacross or a similar town, it will receive no support. It will probably receive blockages from the official system. However, if it decides to turn that same building into an IPAS centre, it will secure a substantial State funding package. That is not fair on anyone involved, except the beneficiary who is making a profit. That approach has to end. It is time to revitalise our town centres. That means more gardaí, more amenities, more support for local businesses and less for those that do not have the interests of the community at the core of what they do. That is the message coming from Carrickmacross and all over Ireland. It is time that the Government heeded that message. It is time to invest in our town centres. This legislation is a small part of all that.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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We will of course support this. It is kind of ridiculous that we are back here every six months, so hopefully it will be the last time. The Minister has committed to it.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I did not guarantee it.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I know. He committed to it, but he kind of did not commit to it. He might commit to whether he is committing to it. Seriously, it has to be done because this is kind of ridiculous. To the public, outdoor seating and socialising is the norm now. We maybe need to slightly improve it because people have adapted. It is one of the few things resulting from Covid, where there was a positive, long-term consequence. There were of course other issues, such as work and so on. It was an outdoor consequence. In some towns around Ireland, it was actually transformative, in a positive way that would never have happened otherwise.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Yes.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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It was great. There were some changes in my local town of Nenagh, which were positive, and I implored the council to do other works that were complementary, which was great. I hope we will not end up here again and that the miscellaneous provisions Bill being brought forward will deal with this and regularise the whole situation, so we do not have to be coming in here talking about the obvious every six months. I know my former colleague, Brendan Howlin, used to love coming in here every six months when he was spokesperson talking about this and about the fact that there were 650,000 people out on the streets of Wexford during fleadhs and stuff. This really has to be regularised.

While we have outdoor seating, it is important that those who operate in the hospitality industry have guidance from the Minister on the proliferation of non-alcoholic branded beers, which is a good thing. I spoke about this recently. Publicans and people working in the industry are selling non-alcoholic beers to adults with no issue. However, there are well-known alcoholic brands with a non-alcoholic version that is being sold to adults who are giving it to children. I asked the Minister a parliamentary question on this, and his response was: "The prohibition does not apply to alcohol free alternatives." We know who the brands are so I will not mention them and give them promotion, but in zero-branded beer there is a tiny trace of alcohol. That is the first issue. The second issue is for those working in the industry. If this is allowed to happen, and a person walks in and orders two pints of the alcoholic version and one pint of the non-alcoholic version, there are indistinguishable once they are laid on the table or the counter. It is impossible. The person or people working there cannot then distinguish if the person under 18 is drinking the alcoholic or the non-alcoholic version. This is a significant issue. It is unfair on workers and on licensees. In a way, it is an unintended consequence.

My biggest issue with non-alcoholic versions of well-known branded alcoholic drinks is their cost. As a State, we need to examine how we can bring that down and how that can be encouraged. It is ridiculous. I can go down the street from this Chamber and it might cost €7 for a pint, which is ridiculous for a pint in the first place, but it will cost €6 or €6.50 for the non-alcoholic version of it. In my local pub the pint is €5.50 or less, which is still expensive.

However, to have to pay €6.50 for a non-alcoholic version of the same drink and try to encourage people to drive and be the designated driver or just not drink alcohol is absolutely ridiculous. What does need some guidance, however, is whether publicans and those working in hospitality in bars, restaurants and hotels should serve non-alcoholic branded beer to adults who are going to give it to people aged under 18. I do not necessarily think the Government can legislate for this. Guidance is needed here because people have been left in difficult scenarios where they did not know what the right thing to do was in this-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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What is the relevance to this debate? That is all.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The relevance to this is that a lot of these drinks-----

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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They are outside.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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-----are served outside, and do you know what? It is as relevant as Carrickmacross was.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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It is just to note.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The issue is that we need to give some guidance because workers are left in a situation where they do not know. There could be scenarios where minors end up drinking alcohol, either accidentally or deliberately because of this. The vintners, in fairness, have come out and said they should not be served. They said under-18s should not be served and that adults who order it for them should not be served either. They should not be served the non-alcoholic version. Therefore, some guidance on this from the Minister's Department with regard to how the legislation will work in spirit would be really helpful to those who are obviously serving quite a considerable amount of this in outdoor settings.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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I welcome the extension of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act and I will support it. However, we need to be honest here. This legislation has been extended multiple times and we must move beyond temporary measures. It is time to make it permanent. I sat on the Dublin City Council at the same time as the Minister, and to think then that we would be in the Dáil discussing benches. This should be an issue for councils. We have all seen the positive impact that outdoor dining has had on our city. Capel Street stands as a testament to what can be achieved when we open our public spaces to people. What was once known as a transit route has been made more vibrant, energetic and inviting. There is no question that outdoor dining has played a vital role in that transformation. We can have the kind of outdoor culture we associate with many other cities, if not the weather.

This legislation enjoys broad support across the Chamber and across the city because it speaks to something simple and human: the right for people to gather, congregate, sit down and just enjoy each others' company over food and a drink. This legislation has broad support for that purpose but we must go further. Let us use this as an opportunity to have a conversation about what can make our city streets more welcoming, more inclusive and safer. What else can we do to create a city that truly belongs to the people who use it? There needs to be more recognition that the design of our cities and streets can bring people together or push them apart. The recent spell of good weather has brought into sharp relief just how few free, accessible public spaces there are for people to gather and enjoy free of charge. We have all seen the scenes on Drury Street, packed with people and with a gorgeous atmosphere, but one that is ultimately unsustainable. Business owners should not be placed in the impossible situation of asking people to not sit down outside their premises. That responsibility cannot lay with people who are simply trying to keep their doors open. We have placed a burden on commercial spaces to act as substitutes for public ones. We are a city with no shortage of derelict sites, vacant lands and underused laneways. What is lacking is imagination and the political will to take these spaces and reimagine them as part of a shared civic life. It would take just a fraction of imagination and investment to reimagine derelict of vacant sites as vibrant public hubs - places where people can sit, rest, meet and enjoy the city without having to spend money. I think about places in my own area like Talbot Street and O'Connell Street if they only had dedicated public seating and community spaces. Initially, eyes would roll, and people would say they are not safe. I do not agree for a second. I believe public infrastructure adds to the sense of safety within a community. We should not be allowing people to just exist in a city without needing to pay for the privilege and the benefit for local businesses would come from it too. This is not an either-or situation. We can support our hospitality sector and invest in public realm improvements at the same time. Both those things go hand in hand. Thriving cities across Europe understand this. When people are put first alongside commerce and community, they can flourish together.

Coming back to the legislation, however, we can support our hospitality sector. I will vote for the extension but let us not pretend this is a long-term solution. The fact that we keep continuing to renew what has clearly become essential city infrastructure is frankly a waste of legislative time and energy and resources that should be directed towards other crises and sectors across the country. Let us just make it permanent. Let us give local authorities the clarity they need, businesses the confidence to invest and communities the certainty that this transformation of public spaces is not just fleeting or conditional, but here to stay.

Finally, I echo and strongly support the points raised previously by my former colleague, Catherine Murphy, when she talked about accessibility in legislation and the broader public space agenda it supports that must work for everyone. We have heard multiple reports of wheelchair users and people with mobility challenges being blocked from footpaths by poorly placed furniture, signs and sandwich boards. That is not acceptable; it should not be acceptable. If we are talking about making our city more inclusive, that must include everybody regardless of mobility. That means proper regulations, proper enforcement and commitment to universal design in that public realm. Let us, therefore, be ambitious and intentional. When I speak about legislation such as this that deals with the public realm, my mind always goes to the city I love and operate in every day. However, let us imagine we were talking about some broader, bigger concepts. My eyes rolled into the back of my head a couple of weeks ago when I heard Fine Gael councillors and Ministers having a back and forth about whether we should have a tourist tax in this city; of course we should. We should be looking at how we generate revenues for a city not just like Dublin but like Galway and others. These are the conversations that would be substantial in this area. For the moment, however, I support the relevance of this legislation.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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This discussion is centred on extending certain provisions of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act. This extension aims to allow the hospitality sector to continue providing outdoor seating areas for the sale and consumption of alcohol. Independent Ireland and I are in full agreement with this extension.

This is crucial for offering clarity and certainty to business, patrons, local authorities and An Garda Síochána. As a politician, business owners speak to me on a daily basis about the costs of doing business in Ireland. They constantly ask me when the VAT rate will be reduced to make it somewhat easier to keep their doors open.

The Restaurants Association of Ireland, RAI, expressed significant concerns about the current state of the restaurant industry. It recently highlighted that 150 restaurants closed in the first quarter of 2025 due to soaring business costs. The RAI warns that more closures could follow if these financial pressures continue. The association is actively lobbying for changes in regulation and legislation to support the industry. It emphasises the need for Government action to prioritise tourism and hospitality, which are vital to the economy.

The association has put forward several key proposals to support the restaurant industry. Some of these proposals include decoupling VAT rates, separating the VAT rate for food services from accommodation and advocating for a reduced VAT rate for a food service while maintaining the current rate for accommodation. It emphasises the need for greater support for hospitality apprenticeships to ensure skilled workers and a five-year strategy for developing a comprehensive strategy to boost food and drink tourism in Ireland. These proposals aim to address the financial challenges facing the industry and ensure its long-term sustainability.

While we are talking about seating outside businesses, I fully support this legislation going through but I have serious concerns that businesses are being rated for having seating and tables outside, mainly for the few months of the summer season. This is another kick in the teeth for businesses that are struggling at this present time. Business owners in my community have told me that they are being rated. These businesses we are talking about are paying rates already, electricity-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The Deputy might keep to the Department.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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However, it is all about seating, and the rates for seating are coming-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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That is what I mean; it is not this Minister's Department.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I know that, and I respect that, but I am only talking about the importance of having it there. The fact is that they now have it, but they are being punished for having it there by being rated. It is difficult for these business. In a few months, they are trying to turn over a profit and make enough to keep staff on board. These businesses are paying for rates, electricity, staff, VAT, PRSI, PAYE, telephones, Internet, purchase of stock, refuse, upkeep of buildings, maybe rent or a mortgage, and then they also have the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, and rightly so, keeping a very close eye and making sure they have everything right across the board. The whole point I am making is that, yes, this is very welcome, but I am afraid that, unfortunately, local authorities are taking advantage of this and seeing an opportunity to squeeze more money out of businesses that are already squeezed to within an inch of their lives. I was in west Cork last weekend at a fantastic fundraiser in The Fish Basket in Long Strand and there were maybe thousands of people there.

Fantastic food was laid out there and in other outdoor businesses in Ballydehob, Bantry, Bandon, Clonakilty and Kinsale but they certainly are feeling the pinch. I know that and while it is greatly welcome to have this extension on seating areas outside, legislation needs to be put in place to protect businesses so that they are not being fleeced by having seating outside their door. We must support them. They need supports at this time because the VAT rate is still at 13.5%, although it was promised that it might drop back down to 9%. They need an assurance that is going to happen. That will help in that area. It is a huge issue that needs to be addressed.

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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I welcome the proposal which has been a positive introduction for many businesses in the hospitality sector. However, like the previous Deputy, I would like to raise issues around local authorities rating outdoor seating. It is very unfair on businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector, which have been hammered in recent years. The increased cost of doing business has resulted in margins tightening and a reduction in tourist numbers. We need to seriously address issues in the hospitality sector before more businesses go to the wall. I held a number of constituency clinics in Mayo recently. Almost before I sat down, business people were my first constituents and what did they talk about? The VAT. It is crippling-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Again, Deputy, can you-----

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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This is a -----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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He is the Minister for Justice.

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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Yes, but he is at Cabinet.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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You must stick to the subject of the debate.

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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He has an important seat at Cabinet. I understand he is the Minister for Justice but he is at Cabinet and this is a significant issue. It is going to hurt many businesses across Mayo if it is not addressed. I welcome the proposal around the outdoor seating and its extension. It is a common sense, practical solution but placing rates on new facilities or new seating is not acceptable. I ask the Minister to consider working with the local authorities on that.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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As the Minister said at the outset, this is just repeat legislation that is renewed every six months. As others have said, primary legislation could have been enacted some time ago but I am glad the Minister is living up to his reputation as being a hands-on Minister so far and is moving on this. It is something that most people would very much welcome but I always include the caveat that we have a toxic relationship with alcohol in this country. Having alcohol in a context where one can sit down, have a chat and have something to eat is the appropriate way to do it. Covid led to some people drinking at home and we should be trying to encourage people back into the pubs, back out having a bit of grub and socialising with each other again. Something like this, out on the streets, is very welcome in this country, even though it is going to be raining half of the time. I support what Deputy Lawless said in relation to not overly oppressing the vintners and restaurants on this issue. Maybe there should be a licence to have outdoor seating at certain times of the year but it should not be included in the rates. We should then look at longer hours at night time, something that was touted about 20 years ago. I support the continuation of these provisions and I hope we get proper legislation in due course.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank all Deputies for their contributions. There is general agreement in the House that outdoor seating is a good development from the point of view of the hospitality sector and the people who go to pubs and restaurants and like to sit outside. It is also fairly clear that there is broad recognition, including from myself, that the process by which we renew this for six months needs to come to an end at some stage through permanent legislation. That is why, I repeat, I am pleased to say that I got approval from Government earlier this week to introduce a miscellaneous provisions Bill, the civil law aspect of which will put on a permanent basis the entitlement of the hospitality sector to have seating outdoors. Once this is extended today it will mean that the practice remains lawful until 30 November of this year. I hope to have the legislation that makes it permanent, the miscellaneous provisions Bill, enacted by that date. I cannot give a guarantee but I hope to have it enacted by then. As Members will be aware, there are all sorts of barriers, obstacles and requirements that have to be gone through in order for legislation to be introduced in the House and then to get through it.

I have listened very carefully to what Deputies had to say. I have no objection to Deputies raising peripheral issues. Indeed, there seems to be great expertise in the House in terms of the raising of peripheral issues. Deputy Carthy raised the issue of towns and villages in Ireland. He specifically referred to Carrickmacross and I want him to know that I am aware of that issue. I have spoken to my colleagues, the Minister of State, Deputy Niamh Smyth, and Senator Robbie Gallagher and this morning I spoke to Councillor P.J. O'Hanlon in respect of it. I have discussed the matter with the chief superintendent in charge. I am aware that there is going to be an increased Garda presence. We also need to start looking at more use of CCTV cameras in our towns and villages. If it is the case, as the Deputy said, that individuals are renting out properties that are not habitable or do not comply with regulations, the local authority needs to enforce the law and ensure that they are brought before the courts. I want Deputy Carthy to be aware that I am aware of that issue and have acted in respect of it.

Deputy Kelly, as well as expressing his support for the proposed renewal of this legislation, also referred to the issue of children consuming non-alcoholic beer on licensed premises. The answer I gave him is technically the correct answer, which is that the prohibition does not apply to non-alcoholic beverages. However, being practical and as a parent, I would suggest that it is not really appropriate to be bringing children into pubs and then buying them non-alcoholic beer. We have a problem in this country with underage drinking. I do not know how this is categorised in terms of underage drinking of non-alcoholic beer in pubs. However, childhood is very short and we should try to protect children from a life of going to pubs and getting acquainted with drinking non-alcoholic drinks at a time when they should not be in pubs. There is a benefit to non-alcoholic beers. They have transformed the drinking market. They have helped a lot of people who may have drink problems to be able to continue to socialise, to go out socially and drink non-alcoholic beer.

I also listened to Deputy Gannon and agree that there have been great developments in respect of this area. He is right about Capel Street and the same applies in respect of South William Street and Drury Street. It has transformed not just Dublin city but other cities and towns. They have become much better as a result of people, including young people, out socialising in those towns and cities during the summer months. Dublin and other cities are great places for people to grow up and socialise in and we should facilitate that.

I also listened very carefully to Deputies Collins and Lawless, both of whom raised the issue of making outdoor seating rateable. They also referred to the issue of VAT for restaurants. While both are significant issues, they are not issues to which I can respond or resolve but I note the comments of the Deputies.

Finally, Deputy Gogarty referred to the relationship that Irish people have with alcohol. It is certainly the case, unfortunately, that some people in Ireland have a toxic relationship with alcohol. We need to develop a more mature relationship with it and that is something that is increasing. In the context of the resolution that is going to be renewed, there is an opportunity for us to recognise that sunset clauses do have a particular benefit at times. The reason there was a sunset clause in the legislation was in order to ensure that we could see how things progressed over time.