Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)

I support Senator Scanlon and Senator Kitt's proposal regarding a review of the legislation on licensing hours. The legislation has a detrimental effect on tourism. Rural Ireland does not have other facilities and tourists have to bring their children into bars and restaurants. I have also been approached on this issue by traditional musicians. We have many traditional music weekends around the country, especially in the summer, where skills are handed down at workshops by day. However, most of the revered musicians, with whom young musicians want to play, perform in the bars where young people will not be allowed at night. This will affect the handing on of the traditional arts.