The millennium will be celebrated with the biggest party ever seen in Ireland with all licensed premises open all night on New Year's Eve. The proposal to allow all-night drinking at the beginning of the new millennium is contained in a new Bill which is expected to become law during the summer.
The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr O'Donoghue, said he was including the proposal in a new short Bill now so that the industry would have adequate time to plan ahead.
However a publicans' spokesman immediately criticised the Bill, claiming there was no market demand for all-night drinking. Mr John Mansworth, the president of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, which represents over 6,000 publicans throughout the State outside Dublin, said last night he was very disappointed with the Bill.
He said the proposal for all-night drinking on New Year's Eve was "totally impractical". There had been no market demand and no demand in the industry. Publicans, however, did have the right to close when they wished.
On the other measures, he said: "We are absolutely, utterly disappointed with what the Minister has come out with. We have made protracted submissions to him and he could have brought in the longer opening hours from 11.30 to 12.30 in this Bill."
The influx of overseas visitors has had an effect on the opening hours. The new Intoxicating Liquor Bill also contains measures to facilitate the tourist industry. Pubs will open all day on Sunday, doing away with the "holy hour" and there will be no need for special exemptions after midnight on Saturdays. The Bill also allows for licensed premises, particularly night-clubs, to stay open after midnight. Normally, a night-club proprietor would have to go to court to apply for an extension. In the Bill that requirement has been abolished and licensed premises will be able to stay open until around 1.30 a.m.
The Minister said the short Bill was being drafted immediately to facilitate the tourist industry over this summer's tourist and holiday season. It would be brought before the Dail shortly and he expected it would become law before the Oireachtas rose for the summer recess.
Wider issues governing the licensing laws, opening hours, etc., were still under consideration and would be the subject of a separate announcement by him later.
These measures are expected to include allowing pubs to remain open until 1 a.m. throughout the year, scrapping the "summer" and "winter" pub-opening hours.