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Calls to end Ireland’s Good Friday booze ban

Publicans have made an appeal to the Irish government to remove a 90-year-old ban that prevents licensed premises from selling alcohol on Good Friday.

The LVA and VFI are claiming that the current law is “archaic and discriminatory”

Speaking at the re-launch of the #AboutTime campaign, which calls for licensing laws to be amended, the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) and the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) are claiming that the current law is “archaic and discriminatory”.

The trade bodies are now calling on the Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald to introduce the necessary legislation in time for Easter 2017 and to avoid further procrastination by deferring it to the Sale of Alcohol Bill.

The current law was introduced in 1927. The Intoxicating Liquor Act states that alcoholic drinks cannot be sold on Christmas Day, Good Friday and St Patrick’s Day, the latter of which was repealed in 1960 to allow tourists to celebrate the national holiday.

“There is no case for the licensed trade to be treated differently to other retail businesses”, said Donall O’Keeffe, chief executive of the LVA. “Easter is a huge tourism weekend right across the country. Forcing pubs and all licensed hospitality businesses to close sends a very negative signal to tourists and visitors who are left baffled and disappointed by the measure.”

Padraig Cribben, CEO of the VFI, said the public view the law as being completely out-of-date and publicans believe there is broad support for the law to be amended.

“Friday itself is a very important trading day – for many publicans it accounts for 30% of their weekly business – and this is especially true of bank holiday weekends.”

“The government claim to be ready for Brexit but their inability to make a simple law change, makes one wonder. Publicans have been engaging with politicans on this issue for the last six years but the constant response is the issue will be addressed as part of a new Sale of Alcohol Bill. It’s as if ministers are living in never-never land while the rest of us have to live in the real world.”

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