Councillors may regulate pub hours

LOCAL councillors could be given powers to control pub opening hours as part of a radical shake-up of the drinks industry.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell is also reviewing the controversial extended opening hours introduced in July in a bid to tackle growing levels of street violence.

He is expected to publish legislation this month which will effectively strengthen publicans’ powers to refuse service.

Increased penalties for drunken and disruptive behaviour inside licensed premises will also be introduced. The proposals are part of a two-year review of the industry by the Commission on Liquor Licensing, which is near completion.

Mr McDowell said yesterday local authorities already had a role in controlling the operation of gaming machine arcades He said it was time to examine whether they should have an input into regulating pub opening.

Under the proposals, local authorities would be allowed vary hours of opening and closing within certain parameters. The new powers could be used to curb public order offences, or allow publicans meet greater demand in popular tourism spots.

The minister said he saw merit in allowing local communities have a greater say in how their locality is run. There was no formal response yesterday from the publicans’ organisations. However, one source said last night that there would be little support for the move.

Since July 2000, pubs close at 12.30am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11pm on Sunday, and at 11.30 pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

A lot of the concerns about public disorder have focused on the later opening hours of night clubs and new tough public order measures are currently before the Dáil.

The Commission on Liquor Licensing, chaired by solicitor Gordon Holmes, has set up a special hours of trading sub-committee including:

Seamus Carroll of the Justice Department; John Douglas of the barworkers' union MANDATE; Frank Fell of the Dublin publicans' organisation LVA; and Carmel Foley Director of Consumer Affairs. The final report is due in by the end of March.

Successive governments have largely dodged liquor licensing and a morass of separate laws, some dating back 200 years, govern it.

The commission began examining the whole sector in early 2001 and it is now clear recommendations are more likely to focus on public order issues.