See you in the Abbey! Drink law change to boost theatres and art nights
WHEN cafés and pubs do eventually reopen the famous ‘Irish drinking culture’ will have a whole new meaning, according to radical plans being unveiled by Justice Minister Helen McEntee.
Bar hours will be extended and it will be easier to enjoy a tipple at the theatre, an art launch or even a pop-up show.
It is believed that longer opening hours actually lead to more mature and responsible drinking. For this reason closing times will be staggered – so that customers won’t be.
Two decades after Michael McDowell failed to create his much-vaunted café-bar society,
‘A vibrant and safe night-time economy’
Minister McEntee plans a major overhaul of our archaic drinking laws. Next week she will publish a plan to simplify the system so that it will be easier to secure a licence.
Under the plan trading hours for pubs and off-licences will be reformed and Sunday trading will be brought into line with the rest of the week.
The plan will also include timelines to ensure pledged reforms are implemented.
Ms McEntee said: ‘Our pub, hospitality and cultural sectors are an intrinsic part of our social fabric but they have been hardest hit by the pandemic, with many not opening their doors for a year.
‘As part of my plan to build a justice system that works for everyone, I want to help and support these businesses as they get back on their feet.’
There is very little opposition to the view that Ireland’s
Victorian licensing laws are outdated, too complex and in need of modernisation and reform. The fact that one of the laws that needs changing is called the 1935 Dancehall Act indicates just how outdated the legislation is.
And in a rare example of joined-up thinking in this Coalition Cabinet, the Fine Gael minister’s plans will dovetail closely with the proposals by Arts Minister and Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin, to build a more vibrant night-time economy.
Both ministers agree that ‘in other countries, a broader range of licences and greater flexibility contribute to varied night-time economies’.
Ms McEntee said: ‘As we plan how our economy and society will look, after the pandemic, I also believe we need to broaden the range of cultural offerings available in the night-time economy. We must make it easier for venues, galleries, exhibition spaces and pop-up events to thrive and ensure we have a vibrant and safe night-time economy.’
Under the proposed reforms the minister will examine the repeal of the Licensing Acts, the Registration of Clubs Acts and the 1935 Dancehall Act, as well as making significant reforms on the sale of alcohol.
The reforms under consideration include staggered and extended closing times and new categories such as ‘amenity licences for premises where the sale of alcohol is ancillary and subsidiary to the main activity there – this could include sporting arenas, airports, trains, racecourses and cultural institutions’.
At present, nightclubs and late bars require a Special Exemption Order from the District Court, on the pretence that a ‘special occasion’ is taking place at the venue.
The changes will also examine how ‘catering licences could be given to, for example, companies who cater weddings and service other gatherings such as pop-up events’.
It will also be proposed that ‘the district courts would take responsibility for any new licence applications from the Circuit Court, to create a system that would be accessible, transparent and better placed to balance the rights of communities and applicants’.
LOUISE REDKNAPP was so tormented by her split from husband Jamie that she contemplated ending it all by stepping out in front of a bus.
The former pop star has revealed that her distress at walking away from her marriage to the former England footballer was so great that she thought she would be better off dead. Only the appalling prospect of leaving her sons Charley, now 16, and Beau, now 12, without a mother forced her to brush aside her suicidal thoughts.
Recalling her turmoil, she said: ‘I would be standing in Central
London, watching the buses whizz past and I would wonder whether it would be easier for a bus to take me out. All it would take was for me to step out at the wrong moment and it would all be over.’
Asked if suicide was a genuine possibility, she said: ‘I think so, for a split second. I was like, “I would really like this all to go away.” But I’ve got two little men I know need me more than anything. That’s where my selfishness stops – when it comes to them.
‘I remember looking at Selfridges and the buses and being like, “God, I’ve got two people that need me, and they’re the loves of my life, so…” They’re the only thing that kept me going. Them and my mum.’
The European Centre For Disease Control (ECDC) is warning that the risks associated with the spread of known variants of concern in Europe is ‘very high.’
THE UK VARIANT
First identified in Kent in December 2020, it has since been located in samples dating back to september 2020.
studies show that it is 56-75% more transmissible than previously circulating variants.
Because of its infectiousness, it has led to increased pressures on the healthcare system – and raised questions about how quickly it will spread when schools reopen.
the UK variant now accounts for 90% of new cases in ireland. it has been seen in all age groups and in all areas of the country.
it is therefore too late to prevent introduction of this variant of concern into ireland.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN VARIANT
this was first identified in south Africa with the earliest detection dating back to October 2020. it is now the most prevalent variant in south Africa and may be widespread in nearby African countries where sequencing is not being carried out.
Preliminary results indicate that this variant might also have increased transmissibility (50% more than other variants in south Africa) but it remains uncertain whether this strain is associated with greater illness.
there are early indications that the AstraZeneca vaccine might have reduced efficacy against this variant – though further study is required. the south African variant has been found in 14 irish cases to date. All these occurred prior to the tighter restrictions and quarantine measures now being put in place.
so far the variant has been recorded in 40 countries.
THE BRAZILIAN VARIANT
the Brazilian P1 variant has been so far been reported in 17 countries, including Brazil, Japan and south Korea (in travellers from Amazonas state, Brazil).
Outside Brazil, about 200 cases have been reported globally with 30 of these in five european countries (France, Germany, italy, Netherlands and spain).
On Friday, three cases were announced as having been discovered in ireland.
A related variant, P2, which is considered less of a concern, has also been found here.
the capital of Amazonas,
Manaus, which had already been massively hit by a previous variant last year, is experiencing an upsurge in Covid cases.
This variant is of concern as it shares mutations with the UK and South African variants and may have reinfected those previously infected. There is no detected ongoing community transmission of this variant in the EU/EEA.