Eddie Bohan (Fianna Fail)

I am glad the Minister has changed the time from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Like Senator Dardis, however, I do not know how it will be enforced. The hotels the Senator mentioned will have a major problem with it. A large number of public houses in the Minister's constituency have a thriving food business. Many take their families out on Saturday and Sunday evenings for a meal and, during the summer, it is not considered late to go at 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. I do not understand how the Minister can expect a publican to tell a family sitting down to a meal that their children under 18 years of age must leave the premises at 9 p.m. Apart from the economic argument, it will be almost impossible to enforce on a busy evening, especially with tourists and foreigners who are accustomed to staying in a premises for as long as they wish when having a meal.

I ask the Minister to go a step further and increase the time to 10 p.m. That would be reasonable and much appreciated. During the summer it is not considered late to serve food up to 10 p.m.