"The ambition is that Irish cities will have a nightlife as good as Lisbon or Berlin": Leo Varadkar on new licensing laws arriving this year

Minister Catherine Martin has confirmed that she will be working directly with Minister Helen McEntee on nightclub legislation, including new licensing laws.

At present, nightclubs must close by 2.30am, leading to an influx of people attempting to secure taxis home at the same time, often failing or struggling for hours, which leads to further safety issues for women especially.

Speaking about the new plans, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar spoke about the aim to progress past the need for the current licensing laws.

"From the night-time economy point of view, we believe we can get the legislation done this year," Varadkar stated at a press conference on the Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme. "The whole idea is to move away from existing licensing laws, which are kind of a fiction - the idea of a special exemption order in favour of a proper nightclub license. There mightn't be a huge number of them, but it does mean that there would be a certain number of nightclub licenses. The ambition is that Irish cities will have a nightlife that's as good as anything in Lisbon or Berlin, and that's the plan, but we hope to have the legislation done this year."

According to Give Us The Night campaigner Sunil Sharpe, there have been last ditch attempts to derail licensing bills in the past, and the current licensing bill (the Sale of Alcohol bill) was first drafted back in 2005. It has clearly taken quite some time to be pushed through.

At the launch of the Justice Plan 2022 reform last September, Minister Hildegarde Naughton said:

"This is a landmark moment in the reform of our licensing laws, some of which date as far back as 1833 and no longer reflect the dynamic and diverse society and economy that we have become. We committed to modernising and reforming our licensing laws in the Justice Plan 2021, as announced by Minister Helen McEntee earlier this year. Today, we are delivering on the first stage of that commitment and setting a course for how we will do it."

She said that the "outdated" Licensing Acts, Registration of Clubs Acts, and the Public Dance Hall Act 1935 will be repealed and replaced with "updated and streamlined 21st century provisions" regarding the sale and consumption of alcohol in licensed premises. She added that she hoped the reform would "develop a more vibrant night-life in our cities and towns.”

A report by the Night-time Economy Taskforce also recommended that Dublin needs more 24 hour bus routes and that bus services in other cities should be made more regular.

Meanwhile, the Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme will be open to applicants from April 12th, it was confirmed this morning. "This pilot scheme has the potential to change the landscape of the arts in Ireland, and how we fund it," the Taoiseach said today.

The announcement follows the online January public consultation, which received over 1,200 responses. The scheme will reportedly cost €35 million per year.

For more information, visit Gov.ie/basicincomearts.