Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I warmly welcome the Bill and have no difficulty with the speed with which it has been introduced if its provisions will help in some way to reduce the abuse of alcohol, regardless of who is at fault. The sooner it is implemented the better. However, many aspects will be very difficult to implement because the Garda will be relied upon to enforce it. Good will goes out the door in situations of alcohol abuse. When the Minister backs up the Bill's provisions with a commitment to provide for an increased Garda presence on the ground, we will see a change in the country's attitude to the abuse of alcohol which costs the Exchequer €2.4 billion per annum, which amounts to €600 for every man, woman and child. Figures like this provide a perspective on the problem. I welcome anything the Minister can do to reduce this cost as speedily as possible.

The Minister has indicated that members of the Garda Síochána will have hand-held videos at their disposal and that where it appears that licensees are responsible for people exiting their premises in a state of intoxication, they will be held responsible and face closure of their premises. That is welcome, yet many towns and villages do not have access to a member of the Garda Síochána from 5 p.m. until 9 a.m. Recently, in the west, three 999 calls by a publican who wanted help in an urgent matter were not responded to. While I recognise the Minister's difficulties and will support any measure he introduces to bring about change, the deployment of Garda forces must be quickly addressed.

The Minister has suggested that there be a proliferation of café outlets from which drink may be served. That would be a recipe for disaster. If it is not possible to monitor sufficiently well the current outlets, how can additional premises be monitored? There is no point in pursuing the continental model referred to by the Minister until there is a sea change in the attitude to drink and its attendant difficulties.

Section 11 is a cause of concern in terms of local authority input on the question of exemptions. The number of exemptions constitutes a scourge. While we all benefit from them when we want to organise public or private functions, they have proliferated. It is necessary to more closely define what is meant by a special occasion. Even the Judiciary will see a reason for granting rather than refusing them.

All Senators received submissions from nightclub owners who want to extend closing hours to 4 a.m. Their reasons for this proposal do not stand up to scrutiny. I hope the Minister will not differentiate in this area. All licensees, including publicans and nightclub owners, must play on an even pitch. The suggestion of staggering closing times is no justification for extending closing times of nightclubs.