Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

Yes. As the Minister referred to national stadia, as distinct from national stadiums, one assumes that this law will apply to anything that will come on stream in the future. Notwithstanding the Minister's reference to designated areas within stadia and the fact that we would naturally expect those applying for certificates to be as honourable in discharging their obligations as the Minister will be in certifying them, I hope that in a stadium with a capacity of 80,000 – I refer to Croke Park – the designated areas will be adequate and plentiful and that there will not be a mass of people entering specific areas wherein will occur the kind of behaviour the Minister does not wish to see.

Most sports events are family affairs. I am not in favour of the culture of drinking or accepting the fact that because everybody else is selling alcohol, a national sports body should have to do so in order to survive. Unfortunately, this would be reminiscent of King Canute. The reality is as the Minister has outlined. I hope and have no doubt that he will adopt a sensible, logical position, rather than a moral one, to the issue of young people being faced with the sale of alcoholic drinks in national sports stadia and during live music concerts – I am not referring to conferences or seminars. Any Senator who has had occasion to attend live music concerts will know that there is no question about the fact that there is a drink culture associated with them.