Debate over the proposed new Intoxicating Liquor Bill continues to rage with a Waterford club owner warning that, if passed, it’s likely to put him out of business.

“The part of the law that we have the biggest single issue with is the responsibility for people being drunk on your premises,” says The Forum’s Ciaran O’Neill. “It’s not unknown for people to bring in their own alcohol. They arrive sober, down a naggin of vodka and are then, as far as the bill is concerned, ‘drunk’. Are we supposed to strip search everybody? The Gardai already have the power to take people who are drunk and disorderly to court, so why complicate matters further?”

Although it doesn’t effect The Forum, O’Neill is also critical of Thursday night pub hours being pushed back to 11.30pm.

“It’s a tiny change that will solve nothing,” he charges. “My feeling is that we should have the same system as the continent where there are different closing times. That way you don’t have people coming out onto the streets at the same time. Again, it won’t effect The Forum but what’s going to happen at weddings with under-18s not being allowed on the premises after 8 o’clock? Do you send them home without their parents?

“We’re tightening up at a time we should be liberalising. Michael McDowell is staking his reputation on this so, unfortunately, I think it will go through.”

As far as Ciaran O’Neill is concerned, the Intoxicating Liquor Bill is only one of the factors that’s threatening to force clubs out of business.

“The blanket ban on smoking from January 1 2004 and insurance premiums are two more huge problems,” he states. “Our insurance doubled in 2002 to €138,000. Things are tough enough as it is without even more bureaucracy.”

Meanwhile, in Dublin, concern over the aggressive new tactics being pursued by the authorities deepened, following a series of busts undertaken by the Gardai in the city centre.

Among the clubs hit were The River Club in Merchant’s Arch and Renard’s – one of the favoured watering holes of the celebrity and rock’n’roll set, which was raided on a Sunday night – and had its license endorsed in the District court last week as a result.

“It was relatively early when the cops arrived,” one industry source told Hot Press. “To me, the fact that they went to the trouble of busting a bar that is host to a lot of high profile people was a statement of intent. It’s not like as if Renard’s is the kind of place where there’s hassle or trouble. People might have a few more scoops than their doctors would recommend, but no one ever gets out of hand. People go there to have a good time, but apparently that isn’t going to be allowed any more. This was more about a show of strength than anything else.”

Another club owner who preferred not to be identified by name made the point that valuable police time was being wasted on trivialities.

“There are homeless people all over the streets of Dublin at night. Does anyone want to do anything to help them? No. There are drug dealers and gangsters on the loose. But nothing is done because that might require real work on the part of the Gardai. Instead of getting to grips with those real problems, the authorities here want to harass clubs and club owners out of business. It’s worse than stupid – it’s hare-brained stuff.”

If reports that have been emanating from the Dail, where representations on behalf of the bar and club owners have been taking place over the past week are anything to go by, that’s an understatement. We’ll have more next issue...