Ireland thinks small in bid to beat binge drinking

The justice minister plans to crack down on excessive drinking by encouraging a return to smaller community pubs, he revealed today.

Michael McDowell said smaller premises would promote moderate consumption of alcohol and reverse the growing trend of binge drinking.

The minister outlined proposals for new legislation while addressing a conference on alcohol and society.

He said: “Scarcity has created an artificial and undesirable market in licences and this has led in turn to the development of very large licensed premises as owners attempt to recover their initial outlay.

“These large premises create noise and nuisance for local residents, make controls on underage drinking more difficult to enforce and when large numbers of people emerge on to the streets at closing time, there is inevitably an increased risk of public disorder.”

Mr McDowell decided to make it easier for new entrants to the pub trade to gain new “small premises” licences after recent recommendations from the Commission on Liquor Licensing.

He said: “I recognise that large premises cater for a particular segment of the market but I would like to see a return to smaller licensed premises serving the needs of local communities.

“I would like to see much easier access to licences for such premises in the new licensing code.”

Mr McDowell said increasing the number of outlets would not necessarily increase the overall volume of alcohol consumed.

Smaller pubs would find it easier to comply with licensing laws and this would lead to less dangerous drinking practices.

Speaking at the Alcohol and Society Annual Conference in Dublin, the minister also expressed his concern at the impact of promotional activities encouraging excessive alcohol consumption.

He hit out at pubs which give customers unlimited free drinks after charging a one-off entry fee.

“Such practices encourage excessive alcohol consumption and I would suggest to the drinks industry and the licensed trade that they be discontinued even in advance of the future regulations which I intend to introduce,” he added.