Niall Collins (Limerick County, 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 further period of six months, beginning on the 1st day of June, 2026 and ending on the 30th day of November, 2026.

I am here to introduce a resolution to extend the sunset clause in the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021. Deputies will be aware that the Act was introduced in July 2021 and this allowed the hospitality sector to continue to provide the sale and supply of intoxicating liquor in outdoor seating areas. This Act was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Much of the legislation enacted at that time was introduced in response to the real challenges faced, in particular by local businesses, because of the pandemic. Those in the hospitality sector faced enormous challenges, and the State intervened and provided significant and worthwhile supports that kept many of those businesses going. The provisions of the 2021 Act were in place until 30 November 2021 and have been further extended nine times by resolutions of each House of the Oireachtas in November 2021, May 2022, November 2022, May 2023, November 2023, May 2024, October 2024, May 2025 and November 2025. The relevant provisions regularising the position in respect of outdoor seating areas on a permanent basis have been included in the Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026, which was published on 9 January 2026, completed Second Stage in the Dáil on 22 January and completed Committee Stage on 19 May. As the progression of the Bill through the Houses is ongoing, it will not be possible to bring these provisions into operation prior to 31 May next.

The extension of provisions in the 2021 Act today will allow the hospitality sector, local businesses and patrons to continue to enjoy the benefits of outdoor hospitality while the measures to place matters on a permanent footing are going through the Houses. Earlier this month, the Government agreed to extend the provisions of the 2021 Act for a further six months. The measures provided for in the Act also ensure that An Garda Síochána know that those premises engaged in the sale and supply of intoxicating liquor in outdoor seating areas are doing so lawfully, providing An Garda Síochána with the power to direct licence holders to comply with this legislation as it relates to outdoor seating areas, facilitates the enforcement of the Act and is an important safeguard. The House will agree that it is essential that An Garda Síochána continue to have clarity in relation to its powers for public order purposes, and equally, that licensed premises owners understand their obligations to maintain order in outside public areas where they are selling alcohol.

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. This 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 to give clarity to licensed premises, local authorities and An Garda Síochána. The increased availability and popularity of outdoor dining and socialising has been welcomed by many. Its innovation is reflective of the demand for more variety and choice in the ways in which we socialise and in the types of venues and social spaces that are available. It is also crucial to the viability of many local businesses across our towns and cities. Accordingly, it is proposed to extend the operation of the Act for a further period of six months until 30 November next to allow for ongoing certainty for all those operating in the hospitality sector, their patrons, local authorities and An Garda Síochána.

In summary, I am here to ask for the support of the House to extend the provisions of outdoor seating which have proven to be popular in the industry, local businesses and patrons. As previously stated, these provisions have been included in the Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026. I commend the motion to the House.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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The 2021 Act introduced a change in the law to allow for the sale and consumption of alcohol in relevant outdoor seating areas where the use of those areas has been permitted by local authorities on public land or private land next to a licensed premise. This was emergency legislation that was brought in during Covid. Five years later, we are still dealing with six-month extensions of that legislation. I am a member of the justice committee and am aware that there is legislation pending in this area. Hopefully, that legislation will get through the Houses of the Oireachtas sometime this year because it is important that we get the regularisation of outdoor seating areas on a permanent footing. It is important that we do that instead of coming in here and doing this every six months as we have done for the past number of years.

It is apt that we are talking about this today. I went for a walk on my lunch break. It is gorgeous out. The weather is beautiful. I walked down streets that previously would not have had outdoor seating areas and saw people sitting out and enjoying a coffee or an alcoholic drink, having a bit of food and socialising. That brings the city to life. It brings a new vibrancy to our city. It is the same in villages and towns across the country. It is important that we support this.

We also need to look at the broader supports that are given to our villages, towns and city centres to make them safer and more welcoming spaces and at how we invest in public amenities and help small local businesses to get started and to thrive.

Unfortunately, the policies of successive Governments have hollowed out our villages, rural towns and city centres. Organisations like Clondalkin Tidy Towns need to be better supported. The latter is a voluntary group of community activists. It was established in 2012 and it seeks to restore pride to Clondalkin village. It does sterling work for the community and is unselfish in its aim to make Clondalkin a better place for us all to enjoy. It gets good support from South Dublin County Council, but the latter is often hamstrung by budgetary and bureaucratic issues. One recent example was when the Tidy Towns group tried to get some storage space in the village area. This was met with resistance from South Dublin County Council. To me, providing a storage space to a vital organisation that volunteers in our village to make it a better place is a no-brainer. Even today, Clondalkin Tidy Towns had to resort to a Facebook post calling on South Dublin County Council to power-wash the streets of our village. This would not happen if the local authority was given an adequate budget by central government.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers in the Clondalkin Tidy Towns group for the unselfish work they do for us all to enjoy and benefit from. The Government would be much better off trying to revitalise our villages. It must ensure that there are proper public services, including access to GP services, good public transport and enough gardaí. It must ensure that our towns have proper amenities for our young people. Unfortunately, what we have seen in villages in Dublin Mid-West such as Clondalkin and Lucan and others is the proliferation of unregulated vape shops. These brightly lit shops entice young people with their colours, lights and advertising. The packaging is aimed at children, and it is not uncommon for children in school uniforms to be seen going into these shops and coming out with vapes. I am aware that the Government is bringing forward legislation to tackle this scourge in our communities. However, it is too late for a generation of young people who are already hooked on nicotine.

The Government has set aside one hour today to extend the provisions of the 2021 Act to make our cities more vibrant and user friendly. If it had dealt with this previously, we could now be dealing with issues that are directly impacting our cities at the moment. I want to talk about the horse-drawn carriages in Dublin city centre that are to be found just around the corner from where we are sitting. Dublin has a rich cultural history of proper urban horsemanship. Horse carriage rides are synonymous with the south inner city. It is very sad to see this being eroded as a result of a lack of regulation. We have a situation where have responsible carriage operators who are fully licensed by Dublin City Council are working alongside rogue operators who do not have proper certification. Whenever there is no regulation, there is a disregard for animal welfare and the welfare and cleanliness of our city. Steps need to be taken to ensure that this industry is regulated and that our city is properly looked after.

While the purpose of this motion is to deal with street furniture to make our city a better city for all, Dublin City Council has put in place planters along St. Stephen's Green to impede the horse-drawn carriages from parking there safely. I have asked the council to remove them. Perhaps the Minister for justice can do the same, because this is an area that is in his constituency. We need to respect the culture and history of responsible horse-drawn carriage operators who look after their animals and who are also endorsed by animal welfare groups like My Lovely Horse.

Discarded nitrous oxide canisters are another blight on our towns and villages. The Government has delayed my legislation to tackle this issue by nine months. In that time, we have seen more reports on the health impacts on young people of nitrous oxide misuse. Earlier today I received information from Fingal County Council to the effect that it disposed of 4,900 canisters in 2024 and a further 4,000 in 2025. The council also reports that it costs €11 to dispose of a single canister. Walk around any area and discarded nitrous oxide canisters can be seen lying in our parks and on the sides of our roads. Every one of them costs the local authority €11 to dispose of, which is bonkers. In the past two years, Fingal County Council has spent nearly €100,000 disposing of these canisters.

I previously mentioned how Dublin City Council is on course for a 490% increase in the number of canisters collected. The Government has also committed €3 million this year for waste management for all the nitrous oxide seized by customs. The Government knows that this is an issue. It is allocating millions of euro to dispose of canisters but it is doing nothing to regulate the use of nitrous oxide. My legislation, which the Government has delayed, would not only lead to cost savings, it could also save lives. I have written to the Minister for an update on the proposed national working group that is to be established to tackle the issue of nitrous oxide. I want to know why it has taken six years to get this matter on the agenda. The Government needs to get serious about this. The Government often accuses those of us on this side of the House of not bringing forward any solutions. I brought this forward as a solution. I gave it to the Government gift wrapped and it kicked it down the road for nine months.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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The Labour Party will be supporting this motion, as it has supported similar motions at six-month intervals going back to 2021, to allow continued outdoor seating and socialising in our towns and cities. It was born out of a necessity during the Covid period but it has ushered in and accelerated a positive culture of dining and drinking in this country. I have seen at first hand the impacts of good policy when it comes to outside dining in my constituency. In Malahide, the pedestrianisation of New Street, where I have a clinic every week, has allowed businesses to thrive. It is a vibrant space for people to socialise and consume food and drink outdoors. However, we have also seen the frustration when bad policy decisions are made about outside dining, such as what we saw with Drury Street a number of weeks ago. There is still a lack of clarity and direction in relation to this matter. That is why we need to put it on a firm footing. We need to recognise and accept this positive cultural shift that we have seen around our country.

We need to look at the positives of pedestrianisation and converting units from shops into apartments and improving public transport so that people living farther out from cities do not see the lack of public transport options as a barrier to travelling and enjoying these options, either in our cities or towns. In capital cities across Europe, there are places and spaces that have been built for communities. I refer, for example, to Las Ramblas in Barcelona. These are spaces designed for people to simply spend time with each other, have a drink, have a bite to eat or to just be. In Dublin, we have seen some small steps being taken, but that feeling is not yet there. We have seen some good positives in relation to the pedestrianisation of Capel Street but we have also seen the closure of really important and distinctive shops there such as Mr. Middleton's gardening shop just off Capel Street and Mr. Brenfer's darts shop. These were important shops that added to the character and characteristics of the city. In Dublin, my city, we are seeing small shops being squeezed out because Government policy seems to drive the provision and development of hotels, short-term lets, and is reefing the heart out of the city and removing communities and people who live there and replacing them with a transient tourist population and that is having an impact on businesses.

In the wonderful weather we are having today, I cycled down to the Oliver Bond flat complex and spent a number of hours there with residents. The complex is very close to my heart. My father and his brother and sister were raised there by my nana and granddad. This is the largest flat complex in the country and is in need of positive regeneration. There are an awful lot of discussions about the mould, the damp and the conditions of the apartments but what is lost in the discussion is the fact that this is a community of people who live in the centre of our city. We need to ensure that these communities continue to thrive and continue to raise families in these flat complexes. These families have kept that flat complex and many others like it going, on both sides of the river, between the canals, for more than 90 years. When we talk about communities and the cherry on top of outdoor dining it is all wonderful, but it means nothing if we do not have the people to actually live, work and thrive in these areas.

What I see with the motion on the 2021 legislation is an example of how the Government does not have joined-up policy in relation to thriving communities in our large towns and cities. We knew this instantly. Deputy Gannon would have also spoken on similar motions at six-month intervals. We have seen this as a positive over the past number of years, yet the Government has failed to put it on a permanent footing.

It also speaks to the fact that this Government does not understand how to deliver and sustain thriving communities in our city centres or indeed in our large town centres. It goes right down to the very basics of urban regeneration and investment. It is more than what is at the bottom of an excel spreadsheet in terms of the number of units. It is not about units; it is about homes and communities. It is about communities that have sustained this city through good times and bad so that all of us who either originally come from the inner city who are now living in the suburbs but feel the call and the pull of home into the city can come here, be around our people and enjoy outdoor dining. It is about being able to go into individual distinct shops and not being surrounded by betting shops, fast-food outlets and vape shops but by shops that represent our city. Workers who live in our city, whether they were born in our city or have come here to work, should be able live and thrive in Dublin city centre.

This Government does not get it. I know this is away from the point of simply looking at extending outdoor dining, which we all accept is a good thing, but it means nothing if the Government does not put on a permanent footing real regeneration and real investment in our communities.

We will be supporting this motion. We cannot come in here every six months and have the same conversations. The weather outside is good today and people are outside dining, but they also dine outside in overcast weather and even rainy weather. It is where we are now. It is the modern culture of our cities and large towns, but we need much more to sustain that and for it to thrive. We need to ensure that we have policies that allow people to live and raise families for the next 90 years in the Oliver Bond flats and other complexes in other areas of the city because without that, there is no Dublin.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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Of course, we will support this motion as we supported the extension the numerous times it was brought to us before. I again say what many Members, including Deputy Smith, just said, namely, that we cannot keep coming here repeatedly as we have done over the last number years, doing the same thing and being told this will be the last time. Everybody agrees this should be permanent. Why are we still extending it every six months? We all agree that outdoor dining works. Those in opposition, in government, councillors in our local authorities, the businesses and the people of Dublin agree that it works. We should not have to come back here again in six months’ time.

Outdoor dining and outdoor social spaces are no longer a Covid-era response. They have become part of how people experience Dublin and cities across Ireland. I acknowledge that legislation is progressing to put these arrangements on a permanent footing. That is welcome but it is long overdue. In the meantime, uncertainty remains. Businesses remain unsure and temporary arrangements keep temporary thinking in place.

In my previous speeches on this matter, I have spoken about Drury Street. I mentioned walking through it on summer evenings and seeing something Dublin 2 rarely gives itself, that being, permission to relax, to be social, to be alive in our own city - not people rushing through a city but people actually just sitting there inhabiting it. In recent weeks, Ciss Maddens had its outdoor seating licence revoked and then within in a matter of weeks the outdoor area was back again after the licence was renewed. I am not speaking to the merits of that individual decision because there may be valid concerns around access, pedestrianised flow or public space management potentially. Of course, those concerns matter, but what struck me was something bigger. One week a popular outdoor space that contributed to the atmosphere of the area was removed, then two weeks later after public pressure, it was put back in. What does that say to businesses? What does that say to the people trying to invest in our streets? What does that say to anyone trying to imagine a longer term future for Dublin city centre? It just speaks of uncertainty and that nobody is really in charge. It says we have still not decided whether we actually believe in this model or whether we are merely just tolerating it. If we believe outdoor social spaces are part of a modern capital city, policy needs to reflect that belief consistently. Joined-up thinking matters. We cannot on one hand praise vibrancy, the night-time economy, footfall and city centre renewal, and then on the other hand leave the framework around all of that feeling temporary and feeling fragile. This goes well beyond one pub or one street.

The first time I spoke on these extensions, I mentioned Talbot Street, Henry Street and other areas north of the river that deserve exactly the same imagination and confidence that is shown elsewhere. I asked people then to imagine Talbot Street on a warm evening with outdoor seating, better public realm, colour, activity and life spilling onto the street, and to imagine Henry Street as somewhere people stayed rather than simply passed through. What always strikes me when I walk down Henry Street is that everybody is moving; there is no place to simply sit. That is an anomaly on a main street in a capital city. People should be able to just sit and relax. I am not saying the same thing again today because they are just as relevant, not because it is difficult, not because it is impossible, but because nothing meaningful has actually happened.

After enough years pass, some things stop looking like failures and just start looking like choices. A city centre does not become vibrant by accident. Streets do not redesign themselves. Public spaces do not improve through aspiration alone. Government chooses where urgency goes. Government chooses where funding goes. Government chooses whether reports like the report of the Dublin city task force just gather dust or whether recommendations become reality.

The frustrating thing about all this is that Dublin is already showing what works. Capel Street has shown what works, parts of Drury Street have shown it works and the people themselves have shown what works. Young people especially have shown something important. Every summer we hear concerns that there are not enough places to gather, not enough affordable ways to simply exist socially in the city. When people find those spaces organically, the State seems surprised about it.

Outdoor dining and seating were never only about hospitality. They are about civic life, about allowing people to enjoy cities rather than merely moving through them, about creating places that feel welcoming and about recognising that a successful city is not measured only by commercial activity but by what people want to spend their time doing there. That is the bigger opportunity here.

We will support the extension today but I genuinely hope it is the last time we have to discuss another six-month continuation of something everyone already accepts should be permanent. In November, we were told it would be the last time. Eventually, repeating temporary measures stops looking like being cautious and just starts looking like indecision. Even more, it looks like nobody is in charge.

Dublin in particular, although I am sure the same can be said of everywhere else around the country, cannot afford more indecision. It cannot afford more Ministers going to the GPO announcing task forces whose reports just sit on shelves. We need ambition and that ambition can and should extend beyond simple outdoor dining. That ambition should extend to over-the-shop living, for example. How can we get people living more in the city centre above the shops on Henry Street, Grafton Street and O'Connell Street? These suggestions have been made for 20 years in various different reports and every time the suggestion is made, somebody says it seems like a good idea, but all the factors needed to implement that good idea just get left on the shelf because there may be some legislative difficulties or some resourcing required. That is all fine but where we fall down is in imagination, leadership and a genuine passion for Dublin.

We can talk about outdoor dining and over-the-shop living but that cannot be separated from simple things like waste collection. In my area of Stoneybatter, outdoor dining took hold from places like Ray’s and Slice, with people sitting out there enjoying the community. In the last couple of weeks, I have got notifications that the waste management service is to be changed and bins are to be placed along every single house on the road. That speaks of an absence of joined-up thinking and an absence of a genuine vision not only for city centres but for the communities that inhabit them.

The Dublin task force actually had some good recommendations. One of the more frustrating aspects of my time here is that good intention falls down when there is actually no follow-through, with nobody to take charge and be in control of these things. The city is the lesser for it because Dublin and, I am sure, all the other cities in Ireland have enormous potential, but when there are so many different agencies, so many people saying it is not their job and so many people saying that it is the responsibility of X, all of these things start to look shabby and lacking imagination.

We will support this extension today as we did six months ago and six months before that. What I would like to support in the future is not just a genuine vision for Dublin but the capacity to deliver upon it.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I am happy to support this extension insofar as it is contributing to enabling and supporting street life in cities, towns and villages.

It will allow people to socialise and interact on the streets. People will be able to enjoy the lovely weather we are having at the moment and make the very best of it. Generally, it brings vibrancy and energy to our cities, towns and villages. This is a good move by the Government but I wish enabling bars and restaurants to seat people on the streets was matched by a greater commitment from the Government to enliven our city and town centres and create the spaces people need, both for socialising and arts and culture more generally.

Of the many protests I have attended and been involved with over the years, the Izakaya protest was one of the most enjoyable. It centred around an alternative music venue for young people, DJs and so on that is threatened with closure because of a decision by the new owners of what used to be the Central Hotel – now the Hoxton Hotel - to try to take an injunction against a club that had been operating there for years. It is a great venue for grassroots music and DJs. Think about these people who took over the hotel. The club was there when they bought it. If they did not like the fact that the club was there, they should not have bought it. They should not have tried to close down an important venue for young people and music and culture in the inner city.

There was fantastic energy on the protest. I met a lot of people whom I have never seen at protests before. While I knew some people at the protest, I did not know they had any stake in this. A lot of young people were present. What drove their involvement in the protest was a sense of anger about a lack of cultural spaces where people can pursue things like developing grassroots music and different cultural pursuits and endeavours. They feel such spaces do not exist or are under constant pressure and that there is not enough support from the authorities and the State in providing those spaces for the community and society and for people involved in music and arts. People, therefore, felt the need to protest. The protest was about more than Izakaya, however; it was about a much wider issue about the spaces available.

Of course, Drury Street is just around the corner from where that protest took place. Over the past while, a vibrant scene of young people sitting outside, enjoying themselves and eating and drinking has developed. There is a pleasant atmosphere. That is being shut down now because of a decision by the council, which is very regrettable. A good, new and organic development in the city centre is being taken away. It is a mistake. It is not helping the vibrance of the city.

I will provide another example that was highlighted to me during the recent by-election, a matter in which we had been involved beforehand. Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, who was our candidate, is also a musician. He was involved in the campaign around The Complex. While this matter was raised repeatedly in this Chamber, it came up again during the recent by-election in Dublin Central. During the course of the by-election campaign, I met the person who ran The Complex. She reiterated and reminded me how disgraceful it was that the Government allowed The Complex to close. A lot of artists lost their studios and a lot of people who practised, rehearsed, performed or used the venue in some shape or form, as well as those were who employed in it, lost this wonderful, multidisciplinary arts, cultural and musical venue due to the lack of €6 million. The former Minister for Finance and TD for the area, Paschal Donohoe, more or less indicated that the money would be forthcoming to save the venue because it was being put up for sale but it did not materialise, despite the begging and pleading with the Government to save the venue.

I had forgotten what the people running The Complex, which has since closed, proposed to the Government. I do not know if this was made clear to the Government, but it was certainly made to clear to the Department and the local authority at the time. The Complex had approximately €4 million but it needed an additional €6 million to buy the venue in order to save The Complex, all the artists' and cultural space. They proposed that the venue could be redeveloped to have social and affordable housing on top of it. It would have been a win-win for the north inner city. The Government had the chance to save a cultural space, including all the artists’ studios and rehearsal and performance spaces. It could have done all of that, as well as getting social and affordable housing on top of it, for a small amount of money, relatively speaking, in the greater scheme of things. It did not do it, however. It just refused point blank to intervene and the place has since closed down.

Apparently, it is not over yet because the sale has not gone through. I once again ask the Government to look at this. If it is committed to having vibrant, cultural spaces in our cities for social interaction and all that kind of stuff, for a few million euro, it could save The Complex, along with social and affordable housing on top of it. It is a win-win for the city and for culture, arts, music and everyone. Why would the Government not do it? I appeal to it to reconsider.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I welcome the continued support for outdoor seating and dining, which has proven to be one of the most practical and successful measures for our hospitality sector in recent years. This is not just about tables and chairs on a footpath. It is about breathing life back into our towns and village across Ireland, particularly in rural and coastal communities. Outdoor dining has created a vibrant atmosphere that attracts visitors, supports local jobs and keeps small businesses viable.

When the 9% VAT rate was introduced, there was a lot of negativity, shamefully, in this Chamber about big fast food companies gaining. Obviously, those speaking like that do not realise that small businesses relied on the reduction of the VAT rate. We in Independent Ireland fully supported it.

When it comes to outdoor seating, it has given small, family-run business a fighting chance in the face of rising costs. Many of them invested in these spaces in good faith. They now form a core part of how these businesses operate. Take Schull, where I live, as an example. There is Townhouse O D’s, which has two beautiful outdoor areas, one on the back and one on the street. We have Jim’s café where people love to sit out and look at the ocean. Below that is the Harbour Hotel as well as Hackett’s Bar. It is great for the locality. It gives off a great vibe. Both tourists and locals love it. Sure, I would not mind being there today. I suppose anyone else would not mind being there today, especially in this weather. On the main street in Bantry, there are great cafés and restaurants with outdoor seating. There is also the Quay’s Bar and many others. The street is nearly full of umbrellas, tables and chairs. It is fantastic for the town. I could go on about all the beautiful places in west Cork, but what I am saying is that this is great for the whole country. We should be building on that success.

I cannot understand why this is treated temporarily. This is a success story. No one in this Chamber objects to this measure. Good God, if we were in here objecting, it would never be brought up so often. I cannot understand why we keep having to come back in here to talk about it. Why can we not make it permanent and be done with it? This is a common-sense policy that works for businesses, visitors and local economies right across Ireland.

We need to go further. We need to look at night-time buses in communities. There are pilot projects in Kerry and – I might be wrong – Sligo. They are great projects. Local Link buses are travelling around and dropping and picking people up during the night. For obvious reasons, people cannot socialise properly if they do not have transport. It is hard to get a taxi or a hackney. We should be looking at rolling out those schemes in a bigger way.

I hear a lot of criticism in this Chamber about the 9% VAT rate and short-term lets. The Social Democrats and the Labour Party in particular have a real target of hitting tourism. For some reason, they are anti-tourism in this country, but they should not be.

The 9% VAT rate was to help local communities survive the crisis they were going through, and the same with short-term lets. I was up in Galway for many weeks recently, where short-term lets are necessary for the very survival of local communities there, as in my constituency. They love people coming in mainly from our own country. They like to holiday around, find some place to stay, enjoy going out at night, have something to eat and spend money in the local economy. We have parties in here that are against that. I am scratching my head wondering what the hell they are at? They do not understand the benefit. Do not attack the tourism sector to try to fix the housing sector. Are we to ruin the tourism sector to fix the housing sector? That is where the Social Democrats and Labour have been for quite a long time.

Other things like country markets and fair days benefit communities, bring people into communities and help people stay in them. We need to properly promote that. We need to look into areas we can force more business. Given the number of pubs and clubs that have been closed in recent times and clubs, that is important.

I have been fighting a long time for people to come back to towns like Dunmanway to live in local communities. Its wastewater treatment plant needs to be upgraded. It is a sad thing to find out that after public representatives from the Government side stated it would get 50 houses with a recent do-up of the wastewater treatment plant, it would only get 15. Who is codding who while trying to get a big headline?

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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How fitting it is that we are here today in the heatwave of summer 2026 discussing outdoor dining and socialising on this beautiful day and a beautiful week? Right across Ireland, people are enjoying a beverage outside in the sunshine. Good luck to them and God bless them. We had a long winter. I hope that every person enjoys the beautiful weather we are having.

I supported this legislation last year, I will support it today and I will support it again in the future because outdoor seating and socialising is a good thing. We should support it. We should put it on a permanent footing and encourage every person to get out and enjoy a drink outside if possible. It is good for your health - vitamin D and so on. We should not roll over this legislation every six months or a year. It should put it on a permanent footing and ensure that publicans and the wider hospitality sector have the confidence to invest in these facilities.

The pub trade is struggling massively. Over the last 20 years, thousands of pubs have closed. Last year, 360 pubs closed. Many of those were in rural Ireland. In many villages, the last remaining public building was a pub - there was no community centre or shop. We need to refocus. We should support rural pubs to stay alive to make sure every community has a hub.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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Here we are again with yet another extension. Nobody in this House disputes the value of the legislation but we have been bringing this Covid-era legislation on for five years to allow outdoor dining. At this stage, we have to get to the real legislation. My understanding is it has been tied up at committee with other stuff added on. We should have stand-alone legislation and get it through quickly to give permanent security to the many businesses that are feeling the pressure, especially with fuel price hikes. We need to move beyond this and get to the actual legislation.

I am conscious that my time has been cut into, so I will use my last few seconds to wish Sarah in the Public Gallery a very happy birthday.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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That is very important.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I, too, would like to wish Sarah a very happy birthday.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Happy birthday, Sarah, from everyone in the House.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to be associated with those remarks.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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We all do.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I agree with the majority of what people have said. This was brought in during Covid. It was definitely a crutch for the hospitality industry.

I represent north Dublin. Outdoor seating was recently closed on Drury Street and there is a constant attack on amenities in outdoor areas. At a time when pubs and people are under enormous pressure and we constantly sit at desks, getting out, sitting in the sun with your friends and having a meal, a drink or a pint should be encouraged. I, too, am worried about the number of pubs closing across Ireland, in particular rural Ireland.

In Dublin city, people complain and use the excuse of litter. Well, then install more bins, create more jobs and have people take those bins. If there is a bin, people will not throw litter on the ground. They will put it in the bin. We love this city and we want to encourage people to love it.

I have been to Barcelona and went across European inter-railing. I saw vibrant, outdoor, liveable cities. We have seen it in small parts of Dublin but it needs to be encouraged across Ireland. We do not need more empty streets. We need energy, culture and community. The recommendations of the report show this. Outdoor dining and socialising brings people into the city and makes it safer with passerby surveillance, more welcoming and more alive.

In some pubs and businesses across north Dublin, accessibility for those with disabilities is easier with outdoor dining, as there can be difficulties inside the building. That is why this extension matters. I welcome it.

I was out yesterday cycling on a sunny evening through Dublin. The streets are full of life but people are sitting on the ground. Restaurants and pubs have some outdoor areas but when someone finishes work in the city, they should be able to meet up with friends and spend time in the city instead of rushing home.

Like Deputy Lawless, I welcome the very good weather. Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy it and take a break. When this legislation was first introduced, I was working in a pub. We got our outdoor area and that has now become a hub for the community. There are community groups in the area, and they meet outside and sit in the sun. It should be continuously encouraged not only because of the pressure pubs are under but also the pressure people are under. For many publicans, outdoor seating is part of staying financially viable. These pubs are not just businesses. As the Minister of State knows, a good chunk of rural and urban pubs are family owned for three, four or five generations with the name still outside. They are community spaces and they are also where some political careers can start.

I do not mention rural Ireland much. The local pub is one of the last remaining public buildings in a lot of towns. The Minister of State knows that it is not just a pub. It is where someone goes to find out the news or where someone who has lost a family member goes to have a chat. We should encourage those places to survive.

Regarding Dublin and the excuse of litter being an issue, install more bins. It cannot be used an excuse. Where stronger enforcement is concerned, I thank the Minister for justice, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, for the increase in the number of gardaí on the beat. If footpath access is a concern, I called for an extension in respect of pubs if we had qualified for the World Cup, which sadly we did not.

We cannot respond to everything by restricting. We need to be proactive and preventative. That needs to be across Departments, not just with this matter. European cities embrace outdoor life and create atmosphere. I welcome that the Department has introduced legislation to extend this provision, but it should be happening across the board. It would also provide clarity for businesses if it was brought into legislation fully, not just an extension, because businesses could then plan financially on the understanding that the income they get from these areas could be used as a collateral for expansion and for more staff to take on permanent roles. We constantly talk about reviving Dublin city. This is a practical way. If it is brought in and made permanent there would be a more vibrant, safer city.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I thank all of the speakers for their contributions and pledges of support for the motion.

Hopefully, it will be the last occasion that we will be here renewing this on a twice-annual basis. As we indicated, it will be legislated for on a permanent basis.

We listened to what the speakers had to say. Some of the issues raised were on topic and some of them were off topic.

A lot of them had to do with the local authority realm as well. Obviously, Government does not run local authorities. It shows the importance of the local authorities that they have such an impact on the vibrancy of the hospitality sector and also on the town and village centres. They play a very important role.