Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is very welcome. I welcome all the campaigners. It is great to see so many people in the Gallery this evening. A couple of Senators from the Government side were at the meeting today but those who were not missed a hell of a meeting. The message was powerful. It was a very vibrant meeting but there was a very stark message at the same time. It was that people in arts and culture are choosing to leave our country at the moment. They are choosing to leave because there are no venues and no access to dance space. To quote one of the participants, we do not have social infrastructure. That is a pretty stark thing to say. He went on to say we are bound into the pub system and we need to diversify the social infrastructure. It is so right.

The great thing about our motion, which Senator Warfield deserves all credit for, is its broad nature. We are talking about a whole host of measures to try to change and expand our night-time economy and ensure there are protections built in there at the same time. In Limerick city centre we have no late-night cafes. We have no cinema in the city centre. We have very little in the way of nightclubs. When I came home 30 years ago we had all those things, so we have gone backwards in Limerick.

Late-night transport is a massive issue. Right now, to get out to Castleconnell from Limerick costs €25 to €30 in a taxi. That is one way. Going to Newport costs around €25. Therefore, the means of actually coming in to support nightlife in city centres is not there when it comes to transport. Again, that is why transport features so prominently in this motion.

I express some disappointment to the Minister about the amendment. Perhaps she can expand on why the Government has elected to drop so many of the really good points Senator Warfield makes in the motion. For example, he calls for the increased use of the national cultural institutions licence. He calls for a new licence for not-for-profits, including for one-off events. He calls for new locations in districts to be identified where nightlife can thrive, a scheme to support late-night entertainment in cafes and more options for alcohol-free events.

What is so disappointing about the Government amendment is it only calls for one thing, which is reform of the licensing laws. With the greatest respect, the Government is kind of missing the point. The people in the Gallery are saying the matter is much broader than that. I appeal to the Minister because it is a pity in the last day of term, if one has to divide the House. I cannot see anything in our motion any reasonable person would object to. I am sure the Minister is not going to object to the call for premium pay after 11.30 p.m. Surely, every one of us subscribes to that. I am sure she does not object to the call for compliance with employment law. Every one of us supports that. I am therefore genuinely at a loss. I was actually shocked. I spoke to my counterpart on the whip side in Fianna Fáil this morning. I said I cannot believe the Government tabled this amendment.We are having a very good debate and there is not too much that divides us across the Chamber. Yet the Government has chosen to remove most of the important calls in the motion and I cannot for the life of me see why. In Limerick, we need to look at using our theatres, museums and State institutions and at how we can open them up in the evening, change our nightlife and broaden out how we deal with our economy and change it for the better. I am genuinely at a loss. I appeal to the Minister, genuinely and in all honesty. I presume she does not object to the increased roll-out of 24-hour bus routes in Dublin city, yet this was dropped in the amendment to the motion. What message does it give the people in the Gallery that the only measure she is calling for in the amendment to the motion is the reform of the licensing laws? It just does not make sense to me and I appeal to her. We are not here to have a row with the Minister this evening. We are here to try to build a consensus about how important it is to revive our night-time economy. I appeal to the Minister to join us in a cross-party way, as we often do in the Seanad, and ensure we get the right results for all of us.

It is important to address the issue of workers' rights. The Minister will know that in the food services industry, in 2020, there was a 32% level of breach of employment law and €327,000 in stolen wages in one year. That is before I add the amount on the beverage side of things. Therefore, we have a problem. We also have a problem in that seven out of ten workers in the broader hospitality area get paid less than €12 an hour. Let us use this opportunity, when we re-engage with and rebuild the night-time economy, and make it vibrant and fit for the 21st century, to make sure we do not leave the workers behind. That can be done in the same way the Government is trying to do it in the childcare sector via a joint labour committee. We can use sensible means of engagement with employers, trade unions, and young workers, and ensure we lift standards for all involved, because the night-time economy has to work for everyone, including the workers themselves.