Bill to extend nightclub opening hours in Ireland to go to cabinet this month

A highly-anticipated licensing bill that would see extended opening hours for Irish nightclubs and pubs is expected to go to cabinet in October, Taoiseach Simon Harris has confirmed.

The bill, which would allow venues to stay open until 6:AM and pubs until 12:30:AM, was initially proposed in October 2022 with plans to go ahead by 2022 — but repeated delays have pushed it back, sparking disappointment amongst the Irish nightlife community.

Reporting to The Journal, Harris said that he is committed to getting the legislation into place and is confident that he has addressed concerns raised about public health and road safety.

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However, amid talks of an upcoming election in October or November, the Taoiseach says he cannot make any promises that the bill will pass, as it may not outlive the current government. If a new government comes to power, there is a chance the bill could be pushed even further back.

“I expect that to go to Cabinet very shortly…being very honest, whether it passes the Oireachtas in the lifetime of this Government is a matter for the Oireachtas and other things,” Harris said.

“It’s a matter for the minister [of Justice], but I expected it to go, I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes, in the month of October, but it is a matter for the minister,” he added.

Concerns over the bill have come from members of Ireland’s third-largest party, Fine Gael, with politicians claiming it will have “a detrimental effect” on public health. Meanwhile, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) believes that later closing hours could lead to an increase in road accidents.

Read this next: Irish nightclubs set to be given 6:AM closing time from 2023 onwards

In the face of this, nightlife advocates have been working tirelessly to overturn the archaic licensing laws, fighting for the future of Irish clubbing by bringing it in line with other European countries.

With the bill consistently delayed over the past two years, the campaign group Give Us The Night has frequently expressed disappointment at the Irish government, with a building sense that they were being “strung along” after the bill was pushed back in 2023.

This was especially disappointing, seeing as just one month before the Irish government had set up a €2 million fund to help soundproof Irish nightclubs in preparation for extended opening hours, suggesting that plans were set to go ahead.

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In light of the recent news, Give Us The Night are still sceptical of the bill, stating on Twitter: “We still have to see the final bill and how accessible it’ll be for venues to operate ‘late night’. The devil will be in the detail, but it’s time to just get on with it.”

As part of their campaign, the group recently published an online survey, asking “nightclub operators, venue managers, workers, promoters, collectives, performers, nightclub attendees and new venue owners in the Republic of Ireland” to provide their opinion on the state of Irish nightlife, and the challenges facing the industry.

In a post on Instagram, Give Us The Night, said: “Too often the public discourse around Irish nightlife and nightclubs in particular, is dominated by people who don’t operate, work in or access these venues.”

Read this next: Irish government launches nighlife training to safeguard vulnerable clubbers

“Combined with the incoming financial downturn that started in late 2008, the industry entered a swift free fall. That year we had 328 nightclubs, today the figure is at approximately 90 (some of which it can be disputed are even fully-fledged nightclubs),” it continues.

“We don’t believe that the public’s desire to dance at night has gone away, or ever will, but we acknowledge numerous challenges that exist for nightclubs and their ability to remain sustainable. With this in mind, we would like your feedback based on your experience of nightclubs in Ireland.”

They say that the results will be crucial in the “next stages of our communication with government and opposition parties,” as the bill goes to cabinet.

You can access the survey here.

Meena Sears is Mixmag’s Digital Intern, follow her on Instagram

A point to make is that we still have to see final bill and how accessible it’ll be for venues to operate ‘late night’. The devil will be in the detail, and old habits (strict licensing decision-making) die hard. In any case it’s now time to just get on with it. #giveusthenight https://t.co/lZLj9iYuNU

— Give Us The Night (@GiveUsTheNight) September 27, 2024