Govt plan 'will only make alcohol more accessible'

The National Youth Council said today that plans by the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, to give licences for cafe-style bars, will do nothing to tackle binge drinking.

The National Youth Council said today that plans by the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, to give licences for café-style bars, will do nothing to tackle binge drinking.

The minister is to present the plans to the Cabinet as part of an effort to revolutionise the drinks industry and culture in Ireland.

Mr McDowell claims the cafe bars will lead to more moderate drinking.

However, the NYC insisted that it would make alcohol more accessible and thereby encourage more drinking.

Spokesperson, Mary Cunningham, described the move as “a cosmetic change, which is to be seen to be doing something but is not evidence-based in terms of how it is going to improve the problem”.

“I think it panders to the interests of the drinks industry and not public interest,” she said.