McDowell 'bows to publicans' on café bars

THE Government was last night accused of giving into publicans in the new "compromise" deal on café bars to be unveiled by Justice Minister Michael McDowell in the Dáil on Tuesday night.

Mr McDowell originally proposed creating new café bar licences that could be bought in the District Court for €5,000 by people who wanted to sell food and alcohol together.

This met with major opposition from the vintners, Fianna Fáil backbenchers and health professional who called for the plan to be scrapped on health grounds.

Following a meeting with the Taoiseach last week, Mr McDowell has agreed to a "compromise" on the liberalisation of liquor licensing regime in restaurants, a Government source confirmed yesterday.

"The new compromise deal will just allow existing restaurants to serve other alcohol besides wine and not new café bars," the Government source added.

But the Department of Justice would not confirm or deny last night media reports that existing restaurants will be limited to serving all kinds of alcohol to just daytime hours.

Labour Justice spokesperson Joe Costello said: "Mr McDowell has done a complete U-turn on his original proposal - it was another half-baked idea from the Minister that was good in theory but not in practice."

Deputy Costello said the defeat of this cheap drink licence is the Progressive Democrats second major blow after losing their bid to get a second independent terminal at Dublin Airport.

"This Government gave into the vintners lobby and their own Fianna Fáil backbenchers - many of whom are publicans themselves," the Labour Justice spokesperson added. But Fianna Fáil backbencher and publican Deputy John Moloney who has led the party's opposition to the café bars rejected this claim. "My main opposition to café bars is on health grounds - as chairman of the Dail Health Committee I have listened to warnings from health specialists that this would lead to a dangerous rise in alcohol abuse and anti-social behaviour."

Only five Fianna Fáil TDs are publicans and most of these have their premises leased out and this was not a factor in the party's backbenchers opposing the café bars, he insisted.

"It's not an organised kabal that tried to create a difficulty here - it's a matter of trying to look at centuries old difficulties of alcohol availability in this country and how best to resolve that," he told TV3.

Mr Moloney has tabled a motion for the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party meeting on Tuesday calling on the café bar proposal to be scrapped on health grounds and this has been signed by 40 backbenchers.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell will outline his "compromise" deal to the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party before a vote is taken on Mr Moloney's motion.