Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

Apart from the absence of any criteria to distinguish specialist outlets from non-specialist ones, another problem arises. While the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has general responsibility for the licensing laws, he or she has no direct involvement in granting of licences or the application of those laws. These are matters for the courts and the Garda. It would not be appropriate to give the Minister a direct role in such matters.

This is another of those issues that can be teased out when, and if, the industry draws up a code of practice. One would not like a situation to arise where the specific requirements of one of the retailers in question might be upset due to the uniqueness of the products he or she sells. However, we cannot differentiate between the treatment of ordinary off-licences and specialist establishments. That would not be fair. I do not wish to be trite but if we made exceptions for people who purchase expensive Cuban cigars or wonderful cognacs of one kind or another, we would probably be accused of being somewhat elitist. We will consider the matter in the broader context of the Bill.