Off licence closing times - should they be restricted from selling past 10pm?

Assetbacked

There is a concert roaring near my home this evening and, the beautiful evening it is, I wondered about those at the concert when they leave and if they wanted to purchase some beer or whatever to have a few post-concert drinks at home or where ever else. But of course, they cannot buy alcohol in shops as it is past 10pm.

From 2008, the ban has applied, I recall it being 11/11:30pm before the law was changed. Reading a news article from the time, I think the reasons for the restricted openings are not really applicable. Therefore, it should be possible to sell and buy alcohol in a shop past 10pm.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/off-licences-to-close-at-10pm-under-new-laws-68630.html

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said: “The act places restriction on the availability and visibility of alcohol and provides for more effective enforcement to deal with the consequences of alcohol abuse.

“The introduction of fixed penalty charges for offences of intoxication in a public place and disorderly conduct will not only lead to more efficient use of public resources but hopefully will also support more responsible behaviour on the part of those concerned,” he said.

We have had changes to the good Friday pub closure laws/bylaws, now is it time to change the shop selling restriction?

Your Face

Doesn't make a difference to alcohol consumption or peoples behavior with alcohol.
It was probably just another rule change brought in by a weak-willed politician caving in to contemporary outrage.

kneemos

Changed it to ten during the last boom because everyone was drinking themselves into a coma every night.
Weekends started on a Wednesday.

1o059k7ewrqj3n

Read an article recently about how Gorbachev tried to combat chronic alcoholism in the USSR in a series of measures - reduced Vodka production, reduced times you could purchase alcohol to 3/4 hours in daytime and 1/2 at weekends (something like that), and upped the price.

So the people just turned to moonshine. And the state coffers lost millions of rubles (it turned out to be something ridiculous like 9% of GDP?) in taxes.

I can't remember why I thought this was relevant but my beer is empty so g'luck off to the fridge with me.

dxhound2005

I think the workers in these shops deserve to get home at 10 o'clock.

Phileas Frog

dxhound2005 wrote: »

I think the workers in these shops deserve to get home at 10 o'clock.

Why?

dxhound2005

Phileas Frog wrote: »

Why?

Because they will get home sooner than if they had to work until 11 or midnight.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

It's crap because it only suits people who work 9-5. More and more people work 'irregular' hours. There's no logical reason why alcohol can't be bought until at least 12am.

It was the publicans lobbying the government to take a chunk out of the off licence sales. 10 years on and they are still at it with the minimum pricing.

TheDavester

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Because they will get home sooner than if they had to work until 11 or midnight.

I used to work then manage an off licence for a decade or so (up to about half way through that decade it was 11.30 I finished), this so much....it was a busy off licence but the shop quietened down really most nights around 10/10.30pm and the last hour it was just the odd person in for an "emergency" Ciggies or Naggins….and how hard is it to go to an offy between 10.30am/12.30 on sunday -10pm

dxhound2005

Drink doesn't go off like milk does. So it is possible for people who expect to want a drink after midnight, to stock up in advance. Weeks in advance if they have the money, and the space to store it.

The Satanist

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Drink doesn't go off like milk does. So it is possible for people who expect to want a drink after midnight, to stock up in advance. Weeks in advance if they have the money, and the space to store it.

Yeah, like I'm really gonna go to sleep at a respectable time knowing there's a bunch of fresh virgin cans sitting idly in the fridge :rolleyes:

Balanadan

What about people who get up early on a Sunday morning to do their shopping and have to make a separate trip to buy alcohol after 12:30?

Darc19

Balanadan wrote: »

What about people who get up early on a Sunday morning to do their shopping and have to make a separate trip to buy alcohol after 12:30?

Off licences are open on Saturdays too.

Balanadan

Darc19 wrote: »

Off licences are open on Saturdays too.

What good is that if you work on Saturdays?

u140acro3xs7dm

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Because they will get home sooner than if they had to work until 11 or midnight.

They would earn more money if they stayed until midnight. They could then save this money and buy a house, and we would fix the housing crisis. Problem solved, the government can have that one for free.

amadangomor

It was vested interests in the Pub trade - Vintners etc. that were pushing the government to do this. Huge amount of TDs are publicans also.

Typical gombeen politics taking away peoples freedom. At the time I would work overtime very regularly and say was finished at 11PM on a Friday night wouldn't be able to get 2/3 beers after working a 15 hour day.

Banning all alcohol advertising/drug pushing would be much more effective than having a closing time - somebody with an alcohol problem is surely going to ensure he has his alcohol supply so is unlikely to be bothered by a 10pm or midnight closing time.

There is, however, no justification for allowing alcohol to be romanticised and pushed via a wide range of advertising in our society. Ban alcohol advertising in its entirety as its sole purpose us to increase sales of their drug. Watch the vested interests squeal like never before then.

Cienciano

amadangomor wrote: »

It was vested interests in the Pub trade - Vintners etc. that were pushing the government to do this. Huge amount of TDs are publicans also.

Typical gombeen politics taking away peoples freedom. At the time I would work overtime very regularly and say was finished at 11PM on a Friday night wouldn't be able to get 2/3 beers after working a 15 hour day.

I'm surprised it took 16 posts for someone to post this. It's one of those "we need to be saved from the demon drink" rules. But apparently it's fine for pubs to do it because lots of TD's were publicans. Same way rent is crazy right now but that's fine because lots of TD's are landlords.
The culture needs to change. Anyone remember Michael McDowell trying to encourage café bar culture in Ireland? I'm no fan of MMD, but it was a good idea, trying to change the culture and encourage people to have food with their drink. He was laughed out of the Dail because the TD's there all owned pubs and it would have effected them and their pub licences.

The 12:30 rule on a sunday afternoon is particularly dumb.

Very few shops open past 10pm, which is fair enough.

Where a shop is open 24 hours, I don't see why we should be limiting them in what they can sell. If a shop is willing to offer that service to people who need it, they should be able to maximise the profit of doing so.

Cienciano

dxhound2005 wrote: »

I think the workers in these shops deserve to get home at 10 o'clock.

Shops can close whatever time they like.

Chips Lovell

Whatever about the evening opening hours, the morning ones are a pain in the hoop. If you want to pick up a few bottles of wine with your weekly shop, you can't do it too early in the morning, particularly on a Sunday.

I've got the kids with me, a week's worth of groceries. What do they think I'm going to do, crack it open in the car park at 10 in the morning?

SteM

Willie Bumpy Strictness wrote: »

They would earn more money if they stayed until midnight. They could then save this money and buy a house, and we would fix the housing crisis. Problem solved, the government can have that one for free.

Yeah, 2 extra hours pay at minimum wage will definitely turn them into property owners.

u140acro3xs7dm

SteM wrote: »

Yeah, 2 extra hours pay at minimum wage will definitely turn them into property owners.

This is after hours - if you are looking for a sensible answer, look elsewhere.

SteM

Willie Bumpy Strictness wrote: »

This is after hours - if you are looking for a sensible answer, look elsewhere.

Sensible? No.
Funny? Obviously not.

Edgware

kneemos wrote: »

Changed it to ten during the last boom because everyone was drinking themselves into a coma every night.
Weekends started on a Wednesday.

And finished on a Tuesday!
Partayyyyy

Edgware

kneemos wrote: »

Changed it to ten during the last boom because everyone was drinking themselves into a coma every night.
Weekends started on a Wednesday.

Cienciano wrote: »

I'm surprised it took 16 posts for someone to post this. It's one of those "we need to be saved from the demon drink" rules. But apparently it's fine for pubs to do it because lots of TD's were publicans. Same way rent is crazy right now but that's fine because lots of TD's are landlords.
The culture needs to change. Anyone remember Michael McDowell trying to encourage café bar culture in Ireland? I'm no fan of MMD, but it was a good idea, trying to change the culture and encourage people to have food with their drink. He was laughed out of the Dail because the TD's there all owned pubs and it would have effected them and their pub licences.

The 12:30 rule on a sunday afternoon is particularly dumb.

But then you might skip Mass

odyssey06

Edgware wrote: »

But then you might skip Mass

Or worse ... turn up swigging out of a bottle of Buckfast!

There's a particularly unholy alliance between the "we should be the only ones allowed to sell drink" vintners and the "we know better than you do" brigade behind all of this.

.......

Chips Lovell wrote: »

I've got the kids with me, a week's worth of groceries. What do they think I'm going to do, crack it open in the car park at 10 in the morning?

What IS the point of this?

I mean really?

I dunno how many times I see people turned down for booze at the checkout because its bloody 10.25am (or 12.25 on a sunday).

Its just ridiculous. There should be no restrictions on serving alcohol other than the place having to have a licence to sell it.

odyssey06

The only good thing that can be said in favour of 1030 hours on a Saturday is that it means I can have a lie in and still hit LIDL for half price wine

.

odyssey06

....... wrote: »

What IS the point of this?
I mean really?
I dunno how many times I see people turned down for booze at the checkout because its bloody 10.25am (or 12.25 on a sunday).
Its just ridiculous. There should be no restrictions on serving alcohol other than the place having to have a licence to sell it.

There is no point to it. It's anti-competitive deliberately in nature brought in by venal Fianna Fail politicians as a sop to vintners.

Jimmy McGill

Both pubs and off licences should have their opening hours extended IMO. For instance on Sunday's off licences can't sell alcohol until 12.30pm and the vast majority of pubs close at 11pm on a Sunday also which is ridiculous. Especially since the traditional working week has changed and a lot of people work obscure hours these days. Also what about my body, my choice?