Dáil bar clocked up €7k sales on ‘lapgate’ night

Thirsty TDs and visitors to the Dáil bar drank their way through almost €7,000 worth of stock on the night of the infamous “lapgate” incident as they voted through the abortion legislation.

Records show the parched politicians and their guests set the record take last year during the all-night sitting for the Government’s Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.

Oireachtas members avail of cut-price drink, with the members’ bar clocking up €3,326 worth of sales on the night — with €3,572 taken at the visitors’ bar as the taps flowed until after 5am.

The bar’s busiest night also coincided with the “lapgate” incident in the Dáil chamber involving Fine Gael TD Tom Barry and party colleague Áine Collins.

FoI figures show sales that night were 16% higher than the next busiest night in 2013 — “Prom Night” on February 6 when controversial legislation was passed to liquidate the former Anglo Irish Bank, Irish Bank Resolution Corporation.

The raging Dáil debate dragged on until 2.55am.

The third busiest night was the last Wednesday before the Christmas break, where the festive cheer gripped elected representatives to the tune of €5,016.

The fourth busiest night was budget night when, ironically, Finance Minister Michael Noonan put up the price of beer or cider by 10%.

Takings at the bar totalled €4,872, slightly higher that the €4,419 taken on November 27.

Annual accounts for the Dáil bar for 2013 are not yet available. However, figures for 2012 show profits increased by 5% from €138,600 to €145,623.

A risk posed to its business was averted last year when the public voted to retain a good proportion of the Dáil bar’s customer base — the 60 senators of the Seanad.

FoI figures show the number of Guinness and Heineken kegs ordered by the Dáil bar last year continued to slide. Some 90 kegs of Guinness were ordered last year, compared with 98 kegs in 2012. There was also a drop in Heineken sales — 41 kegs compared with 44 in 2012.