Sharon Keogan (Independent)

I attended that launch last week in Tiglin with Senator McCarthy. I was blown away with the work that is actually done in Tiglin, not just in that area but throughout this country. We are in the Ha'penny Bridge, so to speak, in relation to the work Senator McCarthy does daily with people who are on the margins in this country. I commend him on the work he does every single day.

I wish to address the motion that will be before us to extend Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 yet again. This Act was brought in during Covid as an emergency measure to allow outdoor seating for a licensed premises. Five years later, we are still leaning on emergency legislation and this recurring debate is beginning to feel like Groundhog Day. This is not good governance. The Government has once more abandoned legislation for outdoor dining. This is the third time we have been here. We were first promised the sale of alcohol Bill, a major reform that never materialised. The intoxicating liquor Bill 2024 was then announced with great fanfare and was quietly dropped. Now, we are told the criminal law and civil law (miscellaneous provisions) Bill 2025 will finally put these measures on a permanent footing. The Cabinet approved this in May, yet here we are, kicking the can down the road for another six months.

Let us not forget that back in 2021, the Government pumped millions into outdoor dining infrastructure through the outdoor dining enhancement scheme. Businesses received grants of up to €4,000, and €9 million was spent on permanent weatherproof structures in towns and cities. Five years later, after all that investment, we are still relying on emergency legislation instead of giving businesses the certainty they deserve. For the record, I fully support our hospitality sector and the right to provide outdoor dining and drinking. This is why I will not oppose the extension today. I will not punish businesses for the Government’s failure to legislate properly. Let me be clear, though. This is a reluctant agreement and it comes with a demand for action. I do not want this Groundhog Day to keep repeating. I believe I speak for everyone when I say the next time I want to be debating this issue as permanent legislation and not an eternally repeating extension.