Acting Chairman (Senator Barry Ward): The main item on the agenda today is the pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the sale of alcohol Bill 2022. I am grateful to our witnesses for joining us. We are looking forward to the engagement with them, as stakeholders, to help us with the scrutiny of the general scheme of the Bill. This is the first of two meetings on this matter; there will be another next week. 

We are joined by: Mr. Matt McGranaghan, director and spokesperson, and Mr. Jackie Conboy, director, from the Music and Entertainment Association of Ireland; Mr. Donall O’Keeffe, chief executive, and Ms Alison Kealy, chair, from the Licensed Vintners Association; Mr. Paul Clancy, chief executive, and Mr. Paul Moynihan, president, from the Vintners Federation of Ireland; Mr. Sunil Sharpe, spokesperson, and Mr. Robbie Kitt, spokesperson, from Give Us the Night; Ms Elisabeth Ryan, co-ordinator, and Mr. Peter Mosley, chairperson, from the Independent Craft Brewers Ireland; and Ms Juliet Dwyer, principal officer, and Ms Patricia Butler, assistant principal officer, from the Department of Justice. I thank them all for coming…. 

[For the full debate, click this link to the Oireachtas website]