Move to reduce opening hours in fast food outlets

A SENIOR Kerry garda has said he would support a reduction in the late night opening hours of fast food shops as well as pubs in the county town.

Supt Pat Sullivan told a meeting of the Joint Policing Committee, in Tralee, late night public order offences fell after gardaí succeeded in the local courts in reducing opening hours for club and pubs.

The meeting also heard a call for an all-out effort, from gardaí, for a blitz on a few people that were giving the town a bad name.

Supt Sullivan told the committee which includes gardaí, councillors, TDs and community representatives, proprietors of some late night premises were not acting responsibly and were attempting to hide, from gardaí, assaults that occurred late at night in their premises.

He said public order offences were down by 9% after the half-hour reduction in late night openings from 2.30am to 2am but serious assaults remained on a par with last year.

“Many occur in night clubs and around night clubs and late night chip shops,” he said, adding that a small number of public order offences took place in housing estates.

Supt Sullivan said there had been a 10% decrease in the number of drink-fuelled late night public order offences and he would support moves to cut opening hours of late night chip shops.

Fine Gael’s Deputy Jimmy Deenihan said the Government-appointed alcohol advisory group was looking at Tralee as an example of a town where a half-hour reduction in pub opening hours had led to a drop in offences.

The Tralee Taxi Association, which has lobbied since 2005 for extra gardaí in the town, to help stop vandalism and attacks on its members, said late-night violence was a huge problem for them.

Former Tralee mayor Ted Fitzgerald called for “a once and-for-all blitz” on antisocial behaviour in the town.

“We have too much tolerance of a few people who are giving our town a bad name. Bring them into the Garda barracks. A good strong effort is required,” he said.