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People drinking and dining outdoors in Dublin today. Sam Boal

Legislation enacted to allow drinking outside pubs and restaurants

The Bill was passed to deal with the issue of certain outdoor service not being covered by alcohol licences.

A BILL TO clarify the situation around outdoor drinking has been signed into law by the president. 

The legislation was approved this week to deal with on-street service by pubs and restaurants not being covered by alcohol licences.

President Micheal D Higgins today signed the Bill into law. 

A number of pubs in Galway were warned by gardaí last month that alcohol can not be served outside their premises.

The Justice Minister Heather Humphreys said the legislation “provides the clarity that has been sought and ensures that we can deliver on our commitments for an outdoor summer”.

The law allows for the sale and consumption of alcohol in seated outdoor areas, including those authorised by local authorities or those privately owned adjacent to the licensed premises but not currently subject to a licence.

This will be subject to a number of conditions.

For those areas already given a permit by local authorities, these conditions would be the terms already set by the local authority, such as the number of customers allowed to be seated outside.

Gardaí will also be given powers to enforce this new legislation. The Public Order Act will apply to outdoor seated areas.

The provisions of the law will expire on 30 November unless renewed by the Oireachtas for a further period of six months.

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    Mute Bunny Johnson
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    Apr 28th 2022, 9:00 AM

    Justice that takes nearly 6 years is not justice nevermind fining an entity less than they spend on pencils.

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Apr 28th 2022, 10:43 AM

    @Bunny Johnson: Yea, should have fined them 23 million, not 23 thousand. Because it will come directly from the pockets of HSE management and not from the pockets of already hard pressed taxpa……oh, wait.

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    Mute Bunny Johnson
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    Apr 28th 2022, 11:15 AM

    @Tommy Roche: A judgement needs to be meaningful. If a fine is the method applicable then 10K is a meaningless amount, as always the legal teams received more than the fine! There needs to be proper repercussions and improvements not meaningless fines. Sack people.

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    Mute Allora
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    Apr 28th 2022, 12:01 PM

    @Tommy Roche: so let’s see lets not compensate people who are victims of state misgivings because taxpayers would carry the burden. Oh wait…. You are wrong not just on the point I’ve made here but on several economics fronts as well which tells me you dont know what taxpayers money does or how it works and also why this money is good for the economy going to a worker.

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Apr 28th 2022, 1:45 PM

    @Allora: I never mentioned compensation for victims wronged by the State. The article doesn’t mention compensation either. The money will not be good for the economy as it is a fine, not compensation, and as such will not be going to a worker. And maybe look up the word ‘misgivings’. I think you’ll find it doesn’t mean what you think it means.

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    Mute Allora
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    Apr 28th 2022, 6:22 PM

    @Tommy Roche: you are correct I should not have used misgivings in there. Shortcomings is what I meant to put there and my point stands. Yes I know the worker won’t get the money but still this fine is necessary. I was fined last week for parking illegally & will claim it as an expense. Its the same thing.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Apr 28th 2022, 10:37 AM

    What about the nurses who were injured? Were they compensated?

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    Mute Paul Fagan
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    Apr 28th 2022, 11:06 AM

    @Dave Harris: That would be a different state quango to the Health and Safety Authority. I assume the nurses lodged a claim with the PIAB within two years of the incident likely citing the HSE as respondents. Both parties likely accepted the PIAB assessment, hence the HSE admitting liability so this fine was only part of the cost.

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    Mute Shane McLoughlin
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    Apr 28th 2022, 1:41 PM

    So in other words the Government has basically fined itself? Or am I missing something?

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