New café bars ‘will fuel binge drinking’

THE COUNTRY’S leading expert in licencing law has criticised Government plans for new-style café bar licences saying the move will result in an increase in binge drinking.

Senior Counsel Constance Cassidy said the new measures, announced by Justice Minister Michael McDowell last week, would result in young people binging more on alcopops rather than older responsible people having a glass of wine with some food.

"I don't think the solution to binge drinking is to create thousands of new licenced premises and I think that's going to happen," she said. "There is no restriction in numbers there is no need to prove a demand for this new licence. There is no obligation to order or to eat food in conjunction with this," she said.