This action is being taken instead of an all-out ban on takeaway drinks.
It was reported on Monday afternoon that the authorities were looking to outlaw takeaway pints due to large gatherings over the weekend.
This possible action was met with harsh criticism by some publicans, who stated that if pubs were to be closed, then all off-licences would need to be closed, too.
@MichealMartinTD @LeoVaradkar the talk of banning Take Away Pints smacks of infringing on our 7day Publicans Licence & there fore I assume all sales of alcohol will be prohibited which in turn will mean Off Licences & Supermarkets etc otherwise you are clearly discriminating us
— Market Bar Drogheda (@nugentsbar) November 16, 2020
Late on Monday night, it was reported instead that the government are planning to introduce fines for those who drink alcohol in groups while outdoors.
There are already fines of €300 in place for customers who drink alcohol within 100 metres of a pub, and an additional fine for the licence holder of €1,500.
As it stands, it is not against the law to drink alcohol in public, as opposed to being drunk and disorderly in public, as Leo Varadkar spoke to earlier in the year:
Taoiseach @LeoVaradkar says it is his understanding that while there may be local bylaws against it, "in terms of national law, drinking alcohol in a public place in Ireland is not illegal. Being drunk and disorderly is; that's an entirely different thing." pic.twitter.com/zouqxvDEi2
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 11, 2020
However, the bye laws he refers to do ban the consumption of alcohol in specific places. For example, in Dublin, drinking “any liquid containing alcohol” is banned in any place that the public has access to, with specific mention to parks, beaches, green spaces, canals and riverbanks.
Similar bye laws exist in many of the large cities and towns around the country.
These new proposals will be looking to set a fine, likely less than €300, for any member of a group of people drinking alcohol outdoors, likely with the specific aim to prevent crowds congregating on streets to drink.
The new fines are expected to be proposed to Cabinet as soon as possible.
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