Seanad debates
Wednesday, 18 June 2003
Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2003: Second Stage.
Section 4 refers to the drunken person. Like many arguments the Minister and I have had during the years, it is like arguing the ninth part of a hair on minor matters. The difference between section 4(1)(b) and 4(1)(c) is like a piece of calculus. It reminds me of something a guy said to me a long time ago about a car crash. He said, "You would go fierce close before you'd hit." Section 4(1)(b) states a licensee shall not, on the licensed premises, "permit a drunken person to consume intoxicating liquor" while section 4(1)(c) contains the words "permit drunkenness to take place in the bar". If we take the view that at a certain point somebody becomes drunk, what we are saying is that a person should not be given a drink at the point before which he or she becomes drunk. There is an inconsistency and it is not quite clear how this will work. It should be written in a different way.
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