Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Much has been said about this Bill. The best place to debate a contentious Bill is in Seanad Éireann because there will be 60 Members contributing on every section and every amendment whereas when a Bill goes to the Dáil, there will only be a handful of Deputies at a select committee. This is a great Chamber in which to debate a Bill. Senator Coffey said much of what I would like to say. Small shops are the heart of communities. They are the heart and soul of communities up and down the country, particularly in rural parts. I welcome the decision the Minister has made and his commitment to the House to look at this before Report Stage. The Minister's staff, and perhaps the Minister, will meet traders on the ground and their representatives and will have a look at the issue of physical barriers and products that are not readily visible. If those issues are substantially addressed in the Bill, I have no doubt at all but that we can work our way through Report Stage of the Bill. The last thing we need when the Bill is passed is for there to be ambiguity. The last thing we need is for what we agree here and what we think has been passed into law to work out differently on the ground. That has been the case over the years. In some cases when the health officer goes out to a pub or butcher's shop, for example, what we think is in law is different to how it works out on the ground. Senator Black mentioned the woman who goes into the shop for a pint of milk and comes out with a bottle of wine. However, only 8% of alcohol sales are in those small shops so that is 8% of such women. The other 92% is sold in off-licences or big multiple stores. Of the women who go in for a pint of milk and come out with a bottle of wine, 92% are going into a multiple store or an off-licence. We are talking, as Senator Coffey said, about the 8% to 10% of alcohol sales which happen in such small shops.

Those shopkeepers have quite a lot on their mind. They have in the region of 20 to 30 employees. They have to deal with VAT on a two-monthly basis, PAYE, PRSI, insurance and the licence fee. Senator Leyden outlined that a wine licence costs €500 a year. They have to deal with the health authority if they are doing food. If they are doing drinks, they will be dealing with the health authority from now on. They have to deal with their customers, banks and staff. They have quite a lot on their minds and the last thing they want to be dealing with is legislation that we pass here that will work out differently on the ground. There will be ambiguity. When the Minister comes back on Report Stage, he should have the issue of structural separation in section 20 ironed out. It has been a stumbling block for many of us. It is a big part of the Bill. Everybody agrees and wants to stamp out the scourge of drink. It has affected every house in the country. Everybody is at one on that. We are talking about the small shopkeeper who is the life and soul of our communities up and down the country. As some Senators have said, they provide a great service in cities and large towns also. I welcome what the Minister has outlined. I welcome that he is going to come back to us and that he or his staff will meet the traders and their representatives on the ground to see how this can work out before he comes back on Report Stage.