Government to grant extra liquor licences

JUSTICE Minister Micheal McDowell is set to unveil plans to grant an increased number of liquor licences, which will allow some cafés to sell alcohol.

Mr McDowell will present draft laws to the Cabinet next week, but Department of Justice sources last night denied that the new legislation will allow the sale of alcohol in fast food outlets and takeaways.

The new liquor licensing laws will allow for certain cafés to sell alcohol, creating a new form of café bars.

“The idea was more for café style establishments to get licences, along the lines of the Commission on Liquor Licensing recommendations,” departmental sources said.

But the relaxation of the licensing laws was criticised by a leading medical expert in the area. Irish College of General Practitioners alcohol project director Rolande Anderson said more outlets selling drink meant more alcohol abuse.

“While I would need to see what sort of checks are in the legislation, the basic principle is that the more outlets there are the greater the problem. The concern would be that this results in less control over what’s sold and to whom,” he said.

According to Mr Anderson, there was “still a massive ambivalence” in Ireland around alcohol.