‘Amateur hour’ as health minister's memo on takeaway pints pulled

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly arrives for a cabinet meeting at  Government Buildings yesterday. Mr Donnelly's plans for a ban on takeaway pints failed to gain support. Picture: PA

The hasty withdrawal of health minister Stephen Donnelly’s memorandum on outside drinking has been branded as “amateur hour” by his own colleagues. 

The memo, brought at the behest of Taoiseach Micheál Martin, was withdrawn amid stiff opposition from Fine Gael and the Green Party.