Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

This section deals with the closure of fast food and other food premises. I was involved in the fast food business for a number of years and I am familiar with most aspects of it. The Minister mentioned the level of noise, but who will be responsible for defining this? On one hand, some people will report matters out of vindictiveness or spite while, on the other, there will be genuine cases of disruption and public disorder.

It amazes me, with regard to fast food premises, how the food can have such an effect on people that they cause public disorder. Nobody ever mentions that drink is the cause; it seems to be the food. Nothing is being put into the food to excite people to the extent that gross public disorder is caused at fast food premises. In fact, the opposite is the case. Food calms people down.

The Government is taking a strong line on the closure of premises for providing food late at night or in the early hours of the morning. We had this debate previously in respect of litter outside fast food premises. The main problem in terms of litter is the number of plastic bags scattered throughout the countryside. I have yet to go to a fast food outlet where one will be given a plastic bag. No plastic bags are given out by these outlets. However, nobody would dare to suggest that supermarkets be closed down because of litter. One will see people eating outside fast food premises in the evening and late at night. I have seen students, young people and even old people sitting outside them on refuse bins and throwing their rubbish on the ground. That cannot be attributed to the person who owns the premises. He is she is not at fault.

The Bill uses the sledgehammer approach to closing down the food premises. In the majority of cities throughout the world, one can get food at any hour of the morning. In New York, one can get a hamburger at any hour of the day or night and nobody is talking about closing these outlets down. The people of New York are not much different from the people of Ireland. Why is there no legislation there to close food premises because of public disorder? One will see bouncers on the doors of such premises, but they are there to keep out people who might cause disorder inside the premises. There are not concerned about what happens on the streets; that is a matter for the authorities.