Justice Minister’s prioritisation of industry raises concerns in licensing law reform
The minister’s team met with the National Off-Licence Association and had two phone calls with Ibec Drinks Ireland (Photo by Sora Shimazaki via Pexels)
Justice Minister Helen McEntee and her team engaged with alcohol industry representatives eight times during the reform of licensing laws, either through meetings or phone calls. In contrast, they only had a single meeting with Alcohol Action Ireland, an organisation focused on minimising the negative effects of alcohol.
The Sale of Alcohol Bill, currently progressing through the Dáil and Seanad, aims to modernise Ireland’s licensing laws and extend opening hours for alcohol-related establishments.
The Oireachtas Justice Committee’s report on the Sale of Alcohol Bill recommends imposing a levy on the alcohol industry. The report highlights that alcohol-related harms cost the State €3.7bn annually and suggests the establishment of a special statutory authority to address and mitigate the adverse impacts of alcohol on society.
Records of lobbying activities reveal that Minister McEntee and her officials held discussions with industry representatives, including meetings with the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) and the Licenced Vintners Association (LVA).
The minister’s team met with the National Off-Licence Association and had two phone calls with Ibec Drinks Ireland. On the contrary, advocacy groups such as Alcohol Forum Ireland, the Irish College of Psychiatrists, and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) communicated their concerns through emails, submissions, and social media but did not have direct meetings with Minister McEntee or her officials regarding the proposed laws, according to the Irish Times.
Dr Sheila Gilheany, chief executive officer, Alcohol Action Ireland, said: “Reports that Minister McEntee is pushing ahead with this legislation in such a fast-paced manner and without carrying out a health impact assessment of the bill are very concerning.”
“As outlined in our submissions to the public consultation on this matter and in our presentation to the Oireachtas Justice Committee, there is clear evidence from multiple other jurisdictions that increased availability of alcohol leads to a range of harms such as increased levels of violence, public disorder, hospital admissions and significant additional pressure on public services.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said: “The consultation process demonstrated that there is a strong demand for reform and modernisation of the law in this area. The department is making sure the reform of this legislation takes account of, and is informed by, this engagement.”
