Fergus Finlay: Liberalising our alcohol laws is the populist policy we certainly do not need

Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty suggested tax relief for people whose tracker mortgages have shot through the roof, an idea that Leo Varadkar dismissed as populism. Picture: Damien Storan
Is it just me? Am I the only curmudgeon around? Or have we all gone collectively mad with these proposed new licensing laws?
The other day I heard what is nowadays described as a robust exchange (we used to call it a shouting match) between the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin's finance spokesman, Pearse Doherty. Mr Doherty had asked the Government to consider the introduction of some form of tax relief for homeowners whose tracker mortgages have suddenly shot through the roof.