Under-fire McDowell plans alcohol crackdown

MINISTER for Justice Michael McDowell plans to have his crackdown on alcohol abuse passed into law by July — but he was accused last night of not getting tough enough.

The minister was also charged with undermining equality legislation by proposing to transfer cases of alleged discrimination in certain pubs away from the Equality Tribunal to the district courts.

Mr McDowell also said yesterday he wants gardaí to use video cameras to gather evidence to prosecute publicans for continuing to serve alcohol to drunk people.

“I hope the time will come when gardaí will come with hand-held videos and if people are tottering out of pubs drunk and the licensee appears to be the person responsible for that, then in these cases they will face closure of their premises,” he said.

The minister’s plan approves tougher penalties for selling and supplying alcohol to drunk people and temporary closure orders will be used to penalise publicans for this offence.

The Intoxicating Liquor Bill will also allow undercover gardaí to enter pubs to enforce the law on underage drinking and serving to drunks and happy hours and promotions will be banned.

Closing time on Thursday nights will be brought back from 12.30 to 11.30 and children will be banned from bars after 8pm. In addition, under 21s will have to carry ID to prove their age.

Minister for Health Micheál Martin is bringing in legislation restricting alcohol to protect children and banning drinks companies from sponsoring children’s leisure activities.

Mr McDowell’s granting of discretion to pubs and nightclubs to raise the age limit at the door was hypocritical, according to Fine Gael justice spokesman John Deasy, adding that his party’s anti-alcohol and binge drinking proposals went a lot further.

“When Fine Gael floated the idea of raising the drinking age of eligibility, the minister said that it was a ‘puerile, facile suggestion’ that ‘citizens aged 18 and 19 should not be allowed have a pint in a pub’,” he said.

Labour justice spokesman Joe Costello questioned the minister’s ability to steer the legislation through before the summer recess given his legislative record to date.

The Equality Authority said transferring discrimination cases to the district court could undermine the institutions established under the equality legislation and were being made without any formal review.

Last night, Oireachtas Health Committee chairman Batt O’Keeffe said the measures were a realistic effort to defuse the crisis on the streets and the increase in consumption meant a whole range of social problems for generations to come.

The Government’s proposals were also backed by the country’s main publicans representatives group.

The Vintners Federation of Ireland broadly welcomed the package of measures, in particular the mandatory ID card, and said it was looking forward to seeing the plan in more detail.