Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The closure of pubs on Good Friday is part of our religious tradition. It is non-sectarian in that there has been a buy-in by all of the religious traditions. It also sends a subliminal message on our attitude to alcohol that we favour temperance and have space for a non-alcohol day or two during the year. We should not give in to every fad and whim of commercialism. If there is money to be lost, so be it if there is a valuable national priority to be maintained. Keeping pubs closed on Good Friday is distinctly Irish and part of our religious cultural heritage.