Madam, - I am an adviser to the hospitality sector. Ireland is famous for its hospitality and its welcome but pubs, one of our core assets, are being assaulted from every side. What benefit does this create for anyone, particularly visitors and employees?
Yes, there are issues to address - better service, better standards, better value, more interesting and diverse offers - but responsibility and how the industry is depicted are a two-way street. Of course, it is more exciting and sensational to film the drunk, collapsing teenager instead of the hundreds going home happily and normally. Of course it's easy to attack the 50 or so "superpubs" but ignore the other 10,000. It's more sensational to focus on main street, Temple Bar rather than main street, Templemore. But it's not an accurate story, it's not a fair story and it certainly does not represent my experience. I have never yet met the "irresponsible" publican, hotelier or nightclub owner so often portrayed in the media. On the contrary, I have met hundreds of responsible operators.
What industry has had to deal with so much strict legislation in such a short period? No smoking, No kids after 9 p.m. Changing opening and closing hours - not to even begin to think about fraudulent insurance claims. What industry contributes so much in tax but is a recurring and easy Government target for action against anti-social behaviour? Ironic, when politicians are quick to volunteer their services at new openings.
In the end it has nothing to do with pubs and alcohol. It has to do with how people drink and behave and how they are controlled. Driving a problem away does not solve it, it merely compounds it.
The "easy" thing is repressive legislation, laws and attitudes, but, if young people are constantly encouraged not to go to pubs they will drink at home - and what controls exist there that are better than those in the pub?
Hospitality professionals are at the cutting edge of reinventing their products and services faster than most. Isn't it time Governments and critics refreshed their thinking too? - Yours, etc.,
CONOR KENNY,
Raglan Road,
Dublin 4.