Sinn Féin motion tonight will bring Irelands nightlife in line with rest of Europe. Motion changes alcohol licensing laws, trading hours, abolishes Special Exemption Orders; introduces “Night Mayor” & all-night buses, trains and LUAS. I’ve never voted for SF before but Christ I hope this passes
Sinn Féin motion tonight will bring Irelands nightlife in line with rest of Europe. Motion changes alcohol licensing laws, trading hours, abolishes Special Exemption Orders; introduces "Night Mayor" & all-night buses, trains and LUAS. I’ve never voted for SF before but Christ I hope this passes from ireland
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The [motion](https://mcusercontent.com/ffc5ff2fa2294c89d2ff7598e/files/4b9ef5ad-e357-32a9-43db-6992beef2e61/M07.07.22_Night_Time_Economy.pdf) is being debated tonight at 7.30pm. GUTN have endorsed it:
>The Night-time Economy
Countries around the world are experiencing the benefits of a healthy night-time economy. The commonly recognised timeframe of activity in this sector is 6pm – 6am. This involves music venues, bars, restaurants, spectator sporting events, cinemas, theatres, shops, transport companies, and various other forms of hospitality. Our nearest neighbour, the UK, values its night-time economy at £66 billion per year. It is impossible however, to measure the night-time economy’s worth in Ireland, given the heavy restrictions placed on night-time businesses.
>To achieve growth in the night-time industry, a complete rethink of our licensing laws and structure around them needs to take place.
>There is a lack of clarity running through the licensing system in Ireland, with regulations that can vastly differ from county to county. Unlike our European counterparts, Ireland lacks a specific set of decision-makers in relation to night-time events and licensing, with limited initiatives in place to enhance the night-time economy.
>As a starting point, Give Us The Night (GUTN) believe that a night-time commission/advisory group should be established in each major city as soon as possible. These groups can provide expert knowledge as well as recommendations on the local night-time economy, based on a range of research and consumer feedback.
>Night Mayor / Licensing. GUTN welcome the establishment of a Night Mayor (Maor Oíche) in each major city. A Night Mayor (or equivalent individual such as ‘Night Czar’ or ‘Night-Time Economy Advisor’) has been established in cities across the world including London, Manchester, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris and New York to great effect.
>A Night Mayor can act as a liaison between stakeholders in the night-time industry. The Night Mayor would work alongside the Lord Mayor of that city, the city council, An Garda Síochána, venue operators, and event programmers.
>GUTN also believe that the formation of licensing boards within city and county councils would aid the work of the Night Mayor, or alternatively work as stand-alone groups in areas where no Night Mayor exists. Councils could establish these groups to provide more time, fairness and transparency to licensing application decisions. This would also devolve more power to local authorities, to make decisions related to their own specific night-time economy.
>There could also be a fresh approach to granting occasional licences for one-off music and cultural events of all sizes. With a growing festival market, we feel that some of these events could provide an opportunity to test extended opening hours in suitable areas on a pilot scheme basis.
>In 2005, when the UK modernised their licensing system, it was the Department of Culture, Media and Sport that spearheaded the change. More power and responsibility could be designated to the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in Ireland, who can influence positive change and growth for the night-time industry.
>Abolition of Special Exemption Orders. The Special Exemption Order (SEO) system for late bars and nightclubs has failed, with a current drop in exchequer revenue of roughly €5 million per annum since its price increase in 2008. This increase, from €220 to €410 per night, has also led to widespread venue closures and job losses in the last decade. 90,691 SEOs were granted nationally in 2007, while the state estimates that 37,500 were granted in 2017.
>Venues availing of annual dance licences also decreased, from 1,635 nationwide (2007) to 930 nationwide (2013). Annual dance licence figures beyond 2013 have not been published, but the current figure is thought to have dropped considerably since 2013.
>A late-night venue in Ireland that would choose to open 6 days a week would pay approximately €128,000 per year (plus legal fees for each monthly court application) on SEOs. This is in addition to rates, rent, insurance, running costs, wages etc. A venue in the UK will pay around £2,000 per year in late licence fees, with more hours of trading each night possible. Through the combination of restricted opening hours and the large financial outlay required for SEOs, operators have struggled to modernise their venues and to improve production standards, which has impacted on the experience for patrons.
We propose that the SEO system is scrapped entirely. It is an outdated system (operated only in Ireland) that stifles growth in the industry, wastes court time and makes no distinction between late bars and music venues. We suggest that late bars and music venues apply for separate specific annual licences, in place of monthly SEOs. An affordable annual licence fee based on floor space and overall turnover could replace SEO fees. This would encourage music venues to open more nights per week, which will create more jobs in the industry. To incentivise new venues opening, we also propose that start-up businesses be exempt from the first year of their annual licence fee.
>GUTN believe it is time to clearly identify the differences between public bars and purpose-built music venues, and to legislate accordingly.
>To achieve this, we recommend the introduction of a designated ‘night venue’ classification in planning and licensing law in Ireland. This classification should cover fire, safety, operating times, egress, impact on locality and cultural value to the city.
>Criteria for a successful application as a night venue could include:
– Suitability of location
– Quality of programming
– Facilities for performance
– Sufficient ratio of dancing area to standing area
– Sound system specifications
– Soundproofing (where necessary)
– Patron safety strategy
– Commitment to staff excellence (employer to provide ongoing upskill training)
– Preparation of a Venue Management Plan in agreement with local Gardaí, fire officer and council
>A night venue licence would be applied for on an annual basis.
>In conjunction with the introduction of a ‘night venue’ classification, we feel sequential closing across the night-time industry should be introduced to allow all stakeholders such as public bars, restaurants, late bars, and night venues to work in tandem.
>Closing at graduated times would encourage a safe and pleasant experience for all, putting less strain on Gardaí, emergency services and late night transport services.
>This system would enable many night-time businesses to operate according to their own specific customer demand, reaching a full potential of earnings in the process.
>Much like the European model for creative spaces, we envisage that some night venues could be also used as multi-purpose spaces for daytime activities and events. These creative and cultural spaces can support emerging artists and projects, providing employment and training across a range of artistic disciplines. To develop and promote the creative arts in Ireland, we believe that the state should make more of these spaces available. GUTN advocate a standard closing time of up to 6am for night venues. Pending approval, this closing time would be at the discretion of night venue operators. Venues should also have the opportunity to apply for additional operating hours if further conditions and local approval are met.
So he’s basically taking the government’s own program and passing it off as his own? https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/eb2b8-progress-made-on-supports-for-night-time-economy-as-6-irish-cities-and-towns-set-to-be-selected-to-take-part-in-pilot-programme-supported-by-new-night-time-advisors/
Aren’t the Department of Justice already doing this and working through the process of updating our licensing laws?
Aren’t the government currently working on updating licensing laws? What’s the point in this motion?
I don’t think I have many nightclub years left in me but I suppose this will be good for the occasional stag party but who is going to want to work these hours? Or is it simply allowing premises the option to stay open later if they want to.
The absolute state of Sinn Fein and your man warfield
Isn’t this already in progress? Standard Sinn Fein shit so
So the gov say they started working on this in sept 2021.
Its almost 1 year later. What is the delay? What exactly have they done to date?
All i see is a pilot programme.
Hope they can bring this north as well, it’s badly needed
So a few people have commented that this is repeating Gov work in this place.
Allow me to add some presumed context from how parliamentary motions like this often work.
Yes the Gov have announced reviews on licensing and have brought together a taskforce previously.
However, this often can be a time-buying exercise for a government to say they’re working on a particular issue but in reality, all it will do is somebody will produce a report and that report’s recommendations will largely go ignored unless there’s political will.
The opposition proposing a motion asserts a level of of pressure on the government to say “this is a priority for us and we’re going to make you sign up to a very public commitment to this”
Additionally, opposition will often outline a broad suite of measures that goes beyond what the government intended so imagine the government only wanted to address licensing but this motion makes them look into nighttime transport and commits them to it.
As for Senator Warfield, he’s doing his job as opposition in holding government to account
Get the booze tax in line with EU and then we can talk
Just like in London – cool
Can we just have somewhere to go to the fucking bathroom after the bars and clubs have closed? Those standing piss things that they have at festivals and in cities in Europe would be a start but it’s absolutely mental after a rake of drink you have nowhere to go to the bathroom.
Will this do away with the ridiculous 10pm cut off point for retail alcohol sales as well? Something tells me the Vintners will fight tooth and nail to keep that in place.
As someone who works late , all night busses and luas would be major
Go out at 9pm on a weekday in Dublin- everywheres closed.
Go out most any mid – large town in europe / UK at 9pm – eat drink as a walk in no issue, haircut? No probs. Tattoo? 24hours. Shopping? Yep.
All night busses would be amazing. Having to get ataxi home when I finished work later than 10.00pm is not ideal
Sounds like a great idea. Hopefully it will boost the economy tourism industry.
Anyone going to tell them that ‘Night Mayor’ sounds almost exactly like ‘Nightmare’?
It’ll just be overturned by the old FG/FF snakes who haven’t had a drink outside their mansions in 25+ years
Night Mayor on Camden Street
Pleeeeease. I know this is a relatively smaller issue compared to housing crisis, cost of living etc but fuck it’s nice to see that it seems SF is actually listening to the things the average person cares about- especially young people for once.
I remember when the Nightlink was first introduced. Was a game changer for a Northside teenager.
Why not vote for sinn fein now then?
Save nightlife? I’m ok thanks, easier to just give money to diageo. I don’t get this wierd need we have with propping up failing businesses that are failing because they’ve failed to adapt and improve et la An Post, Pubs, Nightclubs, RTE.
“I’ve never voted for SF before but dear God please let them enact their policies” … go vote for them then