Outdoor drinking to continue until November
Licensing for outdoor seating areas will be extended for a further six months until 30 November.
The Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 was introduced in July 2021 to allow for the sale and consumption of alcohol in outdoor seating areas.
Alcohol may be sold in the applicable areas until 11pm.
Permitted seating
The legislation applies where seating is permitted by the relevant local authority on public land, such as a path, or where they are on private land abutting the licensed premises, such as a yard.
Justice minister Helen McEntee said that streamlining of licensing laws in the upcoming Sale of Alcohol Bill – will help to support and revitalise the hospitality industry and night-time economy.
Drafting of the General Scheme is advancing well, she said, with a view to enacting it this year.