Eddie Bohan (Fianna Fail)

I do not believe that the roll-back of one hour on Thursdays will make any difference to the problem of absenteeism from work on Friday mornings. It will not affect many public houses in suburban areas but down town, where tourism has a major input and with late night shopping, especially on Thursdays, if people leave a pub at 11.30 p.m. instead of 12.30 a.m., they will go to the clubs, of which there are plenty around. As Senator Jim Walsh said, most of the problems and disturbances late at night occur as people leave late night establishments. I am not knocking the clubs which are entitled to make a living and at which there is not a great deal of trouble at those establishments which close at midnight or 12.30 a.m.

With regard to absenteeism, closing an hour earlier on Thursdays will not make the slightest difference—