Publicans defended during debate on cafe bars

Publicans were defended by MJ Nolan (FF, Carlow-Kilkenny) during the resumed debate on the Fine Gael private members' motion on cafe bars.

Mr Nolan said the national alcohol problem could be tackled with the co-operation of all involved. "I am glad the Minister for Justice has dropped the cafe bar proposal.

In fairness to publicans and vintners as a group, I think they have take a lot of stick as a group from various commentators," he said. "They have been accused of being greedy, selfish.

I can speak for the publicans I know in Carlow, and the vast majority of them are hard-working, decent, honourable business people, trying to earn an honest living."

Séamus Healy (Independent, Tipperary South) said that in many towns and villages at weekends young people spilled out on to the streets in the early morning from superpubs with nowhere to go and into a situation where there was serious, alcohol-related anti-social behaviour."

He added that it was time Garda resources were deployed to deal with this.

Jerry Cowley (Independent, Mayo) said it was primarily a health issue.

He added that Mr McDowell was claiming to know more than the medical experts on alcohol. "Maybe there are medical degrees to be got up lamp-posts in Dublin."

Tony Gregory (Independent, Dublin Central) said a glass or two of wine with nutritious food was far preferable to endless pints of beer. But the big difficulty with the Minister's proposal was that it would lead to a major increase in the number of outlets dispensing alcohol because the cafe bars would be additional to everything else.

James Breen (Independent, Clare) said the Minister had failed to engage in a debate on the issue. Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Sinn Féin, Cavan-Monaghan) said the debate should be about society's attitude to alcohol and how that drug was regulated.

The FG motion called for a co-ordinated approach to create a national alcohol strategy. A Government amendment, welcoming its decision to "codify Ireland's liquor licensing laws into one coherent modern statute", was passed.