From today's paper:
[quote:25csd9p1] Speaking to reporters in Dublin yesterday Mr Ahern was keen to emphasise the scale of the alcohol problem and the "quick" response that was required. Somewhat unusually, he specified the areas the Government will address in legislation ahead of the publication of a report that Justice Minister Brian Lenihan commissioned from a special advisory group on alcohol. The group, chaired by solicitor Gordon Holmes, is expected to report at the end of March with recommendations on the sale and consumption of alcohol.
Ahead of the report, Mr Ahern made no secret of the fact that the Government will pursue restrictive legislation in the most urgent areas, as soon as the group concludes its work. "This report will be finished at the end of the month. We will move on the areas that we can quickly. Minister Lenihan is determined we move on those very quickly," he said.[/quote:25csd9p1]
Putting the "jerk" into "knee-jerk reaction".
[quote:25csd9p1] Mr Ahern said that while the volume of alcohol in pubs had fallen, there had been a corresponding rise in sales in off- licences. He also expressed concern about the increase in late-night permits being used.
"New research has shown that despite all the things we have done on drink driving and the fact that the licenced trade - the actual pub trade - is considerably down, the proportion of [consumption] is well up." Mr Ahern added: "What is clear is that what's happening in the garage forecourts, what's happening in the supermarket, what's happening in the off-licence generally is leading to an excessive amount of alcohol being available.[/quote:25csd9p1]
The VFI and LVA don't do public policy, but if they did I reckon it would look something like this.
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