Alcohol licensing: Carál Ní Chuilín says law changes strike right balance

A bill that will lead to changes in NI's alcohol licensing laws "strikes the right balance", Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has said.

Under the plans, pubs and nightclubs will be able to serve alcohol for an extra hour, until 02:00, almost every weekend.

The legislation also proposes removing restrictions around Easter drinking.

It will have to pass several legislative hurdles before becoming law.

The other main change is the extension in "drinking-up time" from half an hour to an hour, meaning venues can operate until 03:00 at weekends.

Currently restrictions on selling alcohol are in place from the Thursday before Easter until Easter Sunday.

Alcohol can only be served between 17:00 and 23:00 on Good Friday and bars have to stop serving at midnight on Thursday and Easter Saturday.

The Department for Communities carried out a consultation last year, and said "changing social habits and the growing importance of the tourism industry" had prompted the calls for changes to Easter licensing laws.

Setting out her department's plans in the assembly on Tuesday, Mrs Ní Chuilín urged the Stormont assembly to vote for the bill.

"I know many people would like the licensing regime to be more flexible where licensees would have more freedom to open and close when they like," she said.

"But on the other hand, there are many people concerned about harm caused to our society by misuse of alcohol, who wish to see greater restrictions on the advertising and sale of drink.

"I believe this bill strikes the right balance between offering a level of support to the hospitality sector, which we all agree is very much needed, whilst protecting our communities by ensuring the sale of alcohol is controlled."

The law will also be tightened in some areas - supermarkets will face restrictions on where they can place in-store advertising for alcohol.

The current voluntary code of practice for drinks promotions will be replaced with legal requirements.

The proposals have been a very long time in the making, with Stormont first proposing changes eight years ago.

A previous bill to change NI's licensing laws began its legislative passage in 2016, but the assembly collapsed in January 2017 amid a bitter row between the DUP and Sinn Féin, who share power together at Stormont.

The new bill is expected to become law in time for Easter 2022.

NI's hospitality sector has been closed since 16 October, due to restrictions agreed by the executive to tackle the spread of Covid-19.

Some in the industry have proposed a compliance certificate should be drawn up, to allow those firms adhering properly to the rules to reopen.