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Harcourt Street, Dublin RollingNews.ie

Laws allowing nightclubs to stay open later put on the long finger by government

The bill is not on the priority list for the new government.

THE LAW ALLOWING for the late night opening of nightclubs has been put on the long finger by the new government. 

The legislative programme for the Spring, which sets out legislation due to be pushed over the line in the coming months, fails to include the Intoxicating Liquor Bill on the priority list. 

Instead, the bill is placed on the “all other” list of legislation, which is generally where laws that are put on the shelf are placed. 

The Programme for Government commits to enacting legislation to update Ireland’s licensing laws and promoting the development of a “modern and diverse night-time economy in harmony with increased town centre living”.

Not happening anytime soon 

However, senior sources have said they can’t see the new government progressing the late-night laws any time soon, despite the bill being drafted and ready to go in the Department of Justice. 

Asked about whether the late night opening law has been put on the shelf, the department said:

“The legislation in question will be advanced in keeping with the Programme for Government commitment to updating our licensing laws, with the specific provisions to be considered as part of the Government’s Legislative Programme in due course.” 

It had been expected that the changes, which will allow nightclubs to open until 6am and pubs to open until 12.30am, would be in place before Christmas 2023, but complications with updating the laws significantly delayed the process

Last year, former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who was an advocate for the law change, cast doubt over whether reforms to late licensing laws would be introduced in the short term. 

Further hurdles for the legislation became apparent within the Fine Gael party, when pressure was placed on the new party leader Simon Harris to scrap the idea. 

Former backbench TDs Michael Ring and Charlie Flanagan called on Harris to pull the party’s policies back towards what they called its “core values”, including by discarding the proposed late-night licensing laws that have been in development over the last few years.

However, those working in the nightlife industry have said the new opening hours would create new opportunities for the sector. 

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    Mute CatManDo
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    Apr 9th 2017, 1:31 PM

    Weekly Islamic terror attacks which target Western nations and Christian communities in the Arab world. Thank your local multi cult liberal. They were warned time and time again, but nope they wouldn’t listen. They always have and will continue to stick their fingers in their ears, and scream racist at any opposition to the open border liberal agenda.

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    Mute Greg Cavey
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    Apr 9th 2017, 3:19 PM

    Was only thinking this yesterday but does Grafton street even have any bollards to prevent a truck from mowing down pedestrians? From my knowledge I don’t think it does. I know the threat level here is not likely but it wouldn’t hurt to put something in place.

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    Mute Lepanto
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    Apr 9th 2017, 5:01 PM

    @Greg Cavey:

    That would need some forward thinking on behalf of our politicians etc, they are not exactly known for that in fairness.

    Both Grafton and Henry St have easy access from main roads with heavy traffic, no bollards as far as I’m aware either, a disaster waiting to happen.

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    Mute John B
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    Apr 9th 2017, 5:08 PM

    @CatManDo: all religion poisons the minds of mankind.

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    Mute Raymond Power
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    Apr 10th 2017, 12:14 PM

    @Greg Cavey: people over here were convinced the threat was almost non existent up til friday.

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Apr 9th 2017, 1:24 PM

    I think he should do life in Uzbekistan not Sweden. Swedish jail would be too nice for him.

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    Mute Turk Oneeighttwo
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    Apr 9th 2017, 1:36 PM

    @Catmando…Well said Cat, accurate and perfectly captures the reality. These guys will look back in years to come and wonder just why it was so easy take over Europe.
    Then they will recall actually being invited in…in their droves…

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    Mute Lepanto
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    Apr 9th 2017, 1:49 PM

    Someone needs to asked the Swedish Police why was the terrorist not detained and deported when his residency application was rejected in the first place.

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    Mute Lepanto
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    Apr 9th 2017, 1:53 PM

    The knife Jihad that occurred in an IKEA store in Sweden 2015, well that terrorist faced deportation too.

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    Mute iMoan Brutal
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    Apr 9th 2017, 8:22 PM

    @Lepanto: Not the polices fault. Fault lies with the govt. The policy is to tell people they are being deported weeks before they are! So most run away (well duh) when the police arrive on the date set by migration, they are long gone. head of Migration has a lot to answer for. Same idiot who let I thousands of people unchecked 2 years ago.

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    Mute Mr T
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    Apr 10th 2017, 6:04 AM

    @iMoan Brutal: yeah I think a late night raid would be a better job and the satisfaction of ripping the Tossers from they’re beds and landing them
    On the next plane to whatever dive they came from.

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    Mute Banana Rama
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    Apr 9th 2017, 1:28 PM

    Go dtachtóidh an diabhal é.

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    Mute John003
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    Apr 9th 2017, 2:36 PM

    Perhaps it’s harse but anyone on a police watch list for Jahadi sympathies….Who is a asylum seeker and not a EU citizen should be deported immediately…..France has several thousand such peoole they should all be deported…If needed their home muslim countries should be paid to take them back….

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    Mute Stuart Wootten
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    Apr 9th 2017, 7:22 PM

    Trump is a genius with very special foresight. Didn’t he say a month or so back “did you see what happened in Sweden last night”?

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