Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will make a statement on the report of the alcohol advisory group; the main recommendations of the report which he has accepted and those he decided not to implement. [21101/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Government Alcohol Advisory Group submitted its Report on 31 March. It contains 31 recommendations for legislative and other reforms in areas covered by its terms of reference. On 22 April, the Government approved the drafting of the Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2008 which contains proposals for urgent reforms to licensing law and public order legislation in response to certain recommendations in the Report. Both the Report and details of the proposed legislation were subsequently published. Publication of the Bill was approved by the government yesterday and I intend to present it to the Dail in the very near future.

Apart from this Bill, the Government Legislative Programme provides for publication of a comprehensive Sale of Alcohol Bill later this year. This Bill will modernise and simplify the laws relating to the sale and consumption of alcohol by repealing the Licensing Acts 1833 to 2004, as well as the Registration of Clubs Acts 1904 to 2004, and replacing them with updated and streamlined provisions. Further reforms to licensing law will be considered in that context.

Preparatory work on implementation of recommendations of the Advisory Group which do not require a legislative response has also commenced.