Extra drinking hours will only fan flames of public disorder

I’m confused.

Public order seems to be going to hell in a hand cart, and much of that is fuelled by an abuse of alcohol.

If you read the daily court reports, you will see solicitor after solicitor pleading for leniency from judges on behalf of their clients, arguing that their client’s behaviour was out of character.

The client is very often deeply remorseful for their unacceptable behaviour due to the consumption of alcohol. It was the drink that made him do it.

Or, the client has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, but is making serious efforts to improve their lot. Until the next time, that is.

So, we have the learned men and women of the legal profession testifying in court with monotonous regularity that alcohol is the source of much of the anti-social behaviour that we witness regularly on our streets.

Yet, despite this testimony, the Government is pressing ahead with a plan to increase the drinking hours.

They want to extend it to 6am. A bill will permit nightclubs to stay open until 6am and sell alcohol until 5am, and will provide pubs with regular trading hours of 10.30am to 12.30am, and allow late bars to trade until 2.30am.

I don’t understand this, because reports from various media sources in recent times about disorder in Ireland, and Cork specifically, don’t make good reading.

I’m hearing of rampaging stolen cars, burglaries, anti-social behaviour, no-go areas and a general sense of public fear in city areas.

The Irish Examiner spoke to people on the streets of Cork who said the rise of anti-social behaviour has left them feeling scared in their own city.

From knife threats to harassment, and everything in between, people in Cork City told how they have seen it all, and many it they are too scared to frequent the city at night. And similar noises are coming from Dublin.

The streets are becoming unsafe and the call for more gardaí from the business community in these cities has a familiar ring to it. The lack of ‘on the ground’ gardaí is being quoted as a huge issue.

There’s no doubt that a strong garda presence in any town or city will create a feeling of security. I’ve said many times that if you want to create a sense of safety in a public place, you need to have gardaí on the beat.

It’s a simple crime prevention strategy with a proven track record, but it’s not happening.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) seems to agree, and they say the fall in garda numbers is noticeable on the streets of the city centre where there is a lack of visibility.

Anti-social behaviour is very prevalent at the moment, and trouble is also flaring on public transport, so much so that a group of Government TDs and senators has called for the establishment of a dedicated Garda unit for public transport.

of the National Bus and Rail Union said the level of violence in Dublin that their are experiencing on the Luas and the Dart is growing, and it is unprecedented.

In Cork, bus routes across the city have been hampered by public nuisance and it was reported recently that a bus driver was soaked in urine from engers who were urinating upstairs.

While a dedicated garda transport unit would be an asset in combatting this kind of behaviour, it’s difficult to see where the resources would come from, given the shortage of gardaí.

The Vintners Association of Ireland also have concerns about bad behaviour impacting the night-time economy in the cities. Their spokesperson suggested that anti-social behaviour is turning people off coming into town, and they too would love to see more gardaí on the streets.

They want their customers to be able to socialise safely and get home safely afterwards.

So, it seems that everyone is in agreement that a greater garda presence would be ideal because, without it, we’re seeing a growth in social problems.

But the vintners who previously expressed concerns about anti-social behaviour impacting the night-time economy, are also in favour of extending the drinking hours. They say it’s not about selling alcohol, but is about giving the community cultural events.

“Dublin and Ireland have a great reputation for music, culture, for nightlife, for partying, and adding another element to that I think will hopefully be a positive thing,” a spokesman said.

I don’t accept that. Ireland has a unique relationship with alcohol, and it’s one that doesn’t reflect well on us.

Our drinking culture isn’t comparable to most other countries in the EU.

In Cyprus, for example, where I spend some time, it’s not unusual to see groups of males together in bar/restaurants. More often than not, you will see a variety of drinks on the table in front of them. Some will have a bottle of beer, others will have a coffee, a frappe, a glass of wine, or maybe even just a bottle of water.

The Cypriots aren’t big drinkers, so you rarely see scenes of drunkenness unless you head to Ayia Napa in the summertime, where you’ll find plenty of it, but mostly from foreigners.

We in Ireland are not civilised drinkers. We abuse alcohol, and extending the opening hours to 6am is only creating further opportunities for havoc.

That’s a certainty, given that Garda management itted they had insufficient resources to deal with the existing 2.30am closing times - and that expanding alcohol availability will exacerbate demands “on an already overwhelmed force”.

They have warned that more public order problems will be the “inevitable consequence” of extended opening hours.

Health experts, road safety campaigners and some politicians have also raised fears over extending opening hours.

So, at a time when gardaí can’t cope with existing conditions, why introduce legislation that seems destined to add fuel to the fire?