26th October 2001

PRESS RELEASE

GREEN PARTY CALLS FOR MORE ‘LOCALS’ AND LESS SUPERPUBS

The Green Party has called for the deregulation of Liquor Licensing. In a submission to the Commission on Liquor Licensing it called for a winding up of the Cartel that currently operates within the sector, and a return to small-scale family pubs that cater for local demand.

“We want to ensure that the traditional Irish Pub does not become an extinct species” stated Councillor Ciarán Cuffe of the Green Party today, “More and more traditional pub interiors are being ripped out and replaced with superpubs. The fault lies with a small group of publicans who are lining their pockets at the customers’ expense.”

“We want changes in the interests of the consumer. This means protecting the traditional pub, yet  allowing competition. Instead of a complicated licensing system that only allows millionaires to become publicans we want a system that is fair and transparent.

“The new planning laws make the complicated red tape of existing licensing laws redundant. Why not do away with this bureaucracy before Europe does it for us?

“The Green Party wishes to see competition, but we also want to ensure that no more of our traditional small-scale pubs are ripped out and replaced with superpubs.”

ENDS

For more information:

Cllr. Ciarán Cuffe 6183082 or 0872652075

Stephen Rawson, Press Officer 6184088