If licensing laws are extended in Ireland there will be an “increase of violence on our streets and at home,” a leading public health consultant has warned.

Dr Mary O’Mahony, a member of the IMO public health committee, told Newstalk today that she believes the proposed Sale of Alcohol bill would “undoubtedly” challenge public order and safety in Ireland.

The bill would allow nightclubs to open until 6am and was expected to be enacted by this summer but has faced delays and has recently been criticised by Government backbenchers.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee told Newstalk today that some licensing laws in Ireland have been around since 1880 and the new bill is about “streamlining laws and allowing people to run their business more effectively”.

Public health

However, Dr O’Mahony said the bill would have a serious impact on public health.

“It will increase the consumption of alcohol and the harms of alcohol,” she said.

“Our population has a lot of harm from alcohol already but increasing availability and the hours it can be sold will inevitably increase public order.

“There will be more violence on our streets and in our homes.”

A man sitting on a couch with a bottle of vodka. Picture by: MBI / Alamy Stock Photo

Dr O’Mahony said Ireland already has a problem with alcohol consumption.

“In Ireland, we have one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption per capita in the world and we need to reduce that," she said.

“Our alcohol consumption per capita at the minute is about 9.9 litres and if the average person was to adhere to guidance, they would need to come down to about 6.8 litres per annum.

“In 2021 we had 58,000 births in Ireland and it's estimated 500 of these babies had foetal alcohol syndrome and another 2,700 were born with a foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.”

Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Dr O’Mahony said this comes at an enormous cost to the public purse.

“In Canada, they estimate for each child born with a foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, there is a lifetime cost of $750,000,” she said.

“In purely monetary terms, the cost to the exchequer of this is about €1.2bn year-on-year.

“No country can sustain that cost and it is just one of the hidden harms.”

Impact assessment

Dr O’Mahony is calling for the Sale of Alcohol bill to be put through a public health impact assessment before it can be enacted.

“If you are introducing a policy measure that will have an impact on the health of the population, I think you do need to look at the costs and benefits of it to make sure the benefits outweigh the cost involved,” she said.

“I think for any major intervention, such as a review of licensing legislation, that it has to have a health impact assessment.”

Dr O’Mahony also said the bill would increase pressure on emergency departments, Gardai, and ambulance services all over Ireland.

Main image: A nightclub in Belfast. Image: Hemis / Alamy Stock Photo