LAST ORDERS: NIGHTLIFE ENDED WITH SLUMP IN LATE LICENCES

…but nights out may be rescued with plans to revamp laws

‘TIME, folks, please,’ is a phase that used to echo around this island every night, but it has rarely been heard in the time of Covid-19.

The collapse of the night-time economy has been laid bare in stark figures showing how the number of late licences sought has tumbled.

The figure has fallen from an average of 700 bar exemptions being sought a week to an average of just three after April 2020, when the first full lockdown was in place.

But with nightlife at its lowest ebb, there is some hope of recovery after the pandemic in the form of a revamp in the licencing laws by Justice Minister Helen

‘Doesn’t believe the public house is the enemy’

McEntee. One publican source said: ‘It is nice to have a minister who does not believe the poor public house is the enemy.’

Questions from Fianna Fáil justice spokesperson Jim O’Callaghan revealed the scale of night-time entertainment that Ireland has missed out on since the arrival of Covid-19.

Mr O’Callaghan asked for the number of special exemption orders granted in 2019 and Quarter 1 of

2020. Special event licences are special orders of the district court exempting the holder of an ‘on licence’ from the usual rules relating to the serving of alcohol.

At present, nightclubs and late bars require a special exemption order from the court on the pretext that a ‘special occasion’ is taking place.

Ms McEntee, responding to Mr O’Callaghan, revealed that in 2019 the State signed off on 34,808 such nights at a rate of 700 a week.

Under current Level 5 restrictions night-time exemptions are banned as part of the closure of all hospitality including the wet pub.

The numbers had begun to taper off in 2020 with figures for the first three months coming in at 6,888.

Further figures from the department revealed there were just a further 100 bar extensions after April 1, for the remainder of the year.

This represents a fall from 700 a week to just under three.

But Ms McEntee intends to restore the bar extension with interest when the pandemic ends.

At the launch of her Justice Plan, she said: ‘Changes to the licensing laws, including efforts to streamline the process for obtaining a licence, are a key part of the plan.’ The minister confirmed this intent in her response to Mr O’Callaghan. She said: ‘As we plan for how our economy will look after the pandemic, the range of cultural offerings available in the night-time economy should broaden.’

The minister is believed to be strongly of the view that Ireland’s licensing laws are outdated, overly complex and in need of modernisation and reform, and plans to examine the repeal of the Licensing Acts, the Registration of Clubs Acts and the 1935 Dancehall Acts.

One source said: ‘The minister is very aware that a broader range of licences and greater flexibility in other countries contribute to building the Irish variant of the nighttime economies in international cities.’

The new regime is, Justice sources said, expected to be ‘about families being comfortable enjoying a revitalised night-time economy as it is supporting the cultural and hospitality industry. It will also aim to ‘make it easier for cultural venues… to get licences’.

New licences may also be created for sporting arenas, airports, trains, racecourses, cultural institutions and venues and theatres.

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‘Broader range of licences’