29th 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 Government’s 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 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 super pubs. 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. We also feel that people should be allowed have a glass of beer with their pizza, without publicans or restaurateurs living in fear of being strangled by red tape.

“The new planning laws make the complicated bureaucracy of existing licensing laws redundant. 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 super pubs.

“The existing licensing laws have strangled initiative. We are determined to see the system simplified and made more consumer-friendly.”

ENDS

Information contact:

Ciarán Cuffe     087 265 2075 or 618 3082

Stephen Rawson, Press Officer                                    087 235 7551 or 618 4088