McDowell under fire after trenchant café bar defence

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell’s trenchant defence of his café bar proposals was roundly criticised yesterday by fellow Government TDs and by organisations opposed to their introduction.

Prominent Fianna Fáil backbencher, John Maloney, yesterday said he was surprised and slightly baffled by Mr McDowell’s threat of ending the one-for-one pub licence extinguishment - which limits the number of pubs - if his café bar proposals did not proceed.

The Minister is due to discuss this controversial aspect of new liquor licensing legislation with the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on Tuesday.

Some 40 TDs and Senators have reportedly added their signatures to a motion against café bars. Mr Maloney told RTÉ yesterday that he would have expected the Minister to have refrained from making his view known publicly until after next Tuesday’s meeting.

The Laois-Offaly TD has made no secret of the fact that he is a publican but insists his concerns are actuated by representations made by concerned experts to the Oireachtas Health Committee, which he chairs.

A group campaigning for more moderate consumption of alcohol in Irish society also hit out at the Minister’s comments yesterday.

Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) claimed it was clear from what Mr McDowell had said that his intention was never to reduce the prevalence of binge drinking but rather to liberalise the licensing laws.

In a statement, AAI said: “He has made it clear that this is his intention and any opposition to his move will not be tolerated.”

AAI went on to assert: “A variety of studies from Europe and the US show that when countries or states have increased the availability of alcohol an increase in consumption has followed. “Nobody can deny that we have a problem with alcohol in this country, the creation of an unlimited number of additional licenses can only add to our problems.”

Donal O’Keeffe, the chief executive of the Licensed Vintners Association also said that he was very surprised at the Minister comments.

Mr O’Keeffe, also speaking on RTÉ, said that the LVA did not want to see an increase in the number of public houses, partly to protect the interest of its members.

But he also contended that it was “impossible to square complete deregulation with the stated intent of reducing alcohol intake.”

Mr O’Keeffe said it was his opinion that café bars will operate as pubs in Ireland.

“There is no requirement on customers to eat food. It will be a pub. Who wants more pubs? How can more pubs contribute?” he asked.