Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

We really did not have €50 or €60, or its equivalent, to spend on occasions like this.

Senator Maurice Hayes made some points in relation to the different parts of premises. I ask Members to bear in mind that prohibition applies to kids in the bar of a premises. Anybody who wants to serve meals in their premises or to readjust a room so that parents can have pints, spirits or whatever while the kids have Club Oranges can do so. This is not draconian law. Likewise, in a hotel, a function room which is not primarily used for sale of alcohol is not a bar, so the family wedding is not covered by this. With a bit of creativity, the licensed trade should be able to adapt to these new requirements and we should not damage our way of life.

I agree completely that we do not want to go into prohibition mode. Nearly everybody here is old enough to remember a time when one could leave the key in the door and life was easy and so on. Alcohol was still a scourge, though, and as Senator Kate Walsh said, there is no point in pretending that alcohol and alcoholic problems are phenomena which suddenly landed upon us in the era of mobile phones. Alcohol always was a scourge in its own way.

However, we now have to bear in mind that we are in a much more liberal society, which I welcome. Our kids are much less inhibited, which I also welcome. The authority structures in our society are changing. Social morality has not gone but it is changing. Compared with the past, respect for authority figures has disappeared. In those circumstances we have to adapt.

I have no doubt that this legislation is demanded by the people and is, roughly speaking, what the people want. I apologise to the House if the Bill appears to be rushed but I did engage in debate. I was accused of flying kites; I made speeches and attended generalised debates in this House on the subject; and I brought the Bill to the Oireachtas joint committee, where both Senators and Deputies could discuss the principle before I committed myself to the detail of it. I am sensitive, like everybody else, to a little bit of abuse, and those who questioned whether I would walk the walk as well as talk the talk have their answer today.