Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021: Motion
Dail Éireann — 2025-11-26
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Niall Collins (FF), Limerick County

I thank the Deputies for their time and contributions. With the extension of the Act until 31 May 2026, I hope that it sends out a message of our determination to continue to support and provide clarity to businesses, An Garda Síochána and local communities. This is an important extension which clarifies the position of licence holders who wish to sell and serve alcohol adjacent to a licensed premises in an area provided by the relevant local authority. With the extension of this Act, continued certainty is provided to licensees.
I reiterate that in May of this year, the Government approved the priority drafting of the criminal law and civil law (miscellaneous provisions) Bill, which includes the relevant provisions to regularise the position in respect of outdoor seating areas on a permanent basis. This will remove the need to apply for these extensions every six months. However, it will not be possible to have these provisions enacted by 30 November.
We can all agree that these measures will successfully address the relevant issues which arose for licensees and that they have worked effectively and will continue to do so for the period ahead with the support of the Houses. Outdoor dining spaces boost the appeal and attractiveness of our towns and cities. They inject new energy and dynamism to local areas, as well as provide much needed support for local businesses and enterprises. Having come through the last few difficult years, it is wonderful to see that we are in a position to share our lively bars and restaurants with many new and returning visitors to our country. I thank the Deputies for their support.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-11-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:22+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-11-26