Intoxicating Liquor (National Conference Centre) Bill 2010 Second Stage – 13 May 2010

Speech by Mr. Dermot Ahern, T.D., Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform

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I move that the Bill be read a second time.

The main purpose of this short Bill is to make provision for an intoxicating liquor licence for the new National Convention Centre at Spencer Dock in Dublin. Similar legislation was enacted back in 1983 to provide a fit-for-purpose licence for the National Concert Hall at Earlsfort Terrace.

Before moving on to the detail of the Bill, I want to highlight the importance of business tourism to our economy. 

The most recent data from the Central Statistics Office indicate that about 1 million business visits were made to Ireland in 2009 and evidence suggests that the typical business tourist spends more during their stay here than the non-business tourist.  Research carried out by Fáilte Ireland in 2009 indicates that, on average, each business tourist generates about €1,400 in revenue during the time spent here in Ireland. 

Conferences and events are an important part of the overall business tourism market.  Last year, Fáilte Ireland provided financial support for 122 conferences, with a combined value of over €80 million. But while we now have the required availability of high quality hotel accommodation, the absence of a dedicated national conference centre has for some years been identified as a shortcoming which restricted our ability to fully exploit the potential to expand business tourism.

The Agreed Programme for Government in 2002 contained a commitment for construction of a modern National Conference Centre. In 2003, under the direction of a Steering Group, the Office of Public Works published a Notice inviting Expressions of Interest for the provision of such a Conference Centre in the Dublin area. 

Following a complex and detailed appraisal process, the contract for the provision of the National Conference Centre was awarded to Spencer Dock Convention Centre Dublin Ltd in April 2007. Under a Public Private Partnership arrangement (the Criminal Courts complex was completed under a similar arrangement), the Company is required to design, build and finance the National Conference Centre and to operate and maintain it for a period of 25 years, after which the facility will revert to the State. In return, when construction of the Centre is complete and open for business, the State will pay an annual charge, the maximum total cost of which over 25 years will be just under €380m in present day values.

The new Conference Centre, which will be known and marketed as 'The Convention Centre Dublin', is due to open on 1 September next.

It will be capable of accommodating up to 2,000 delegates in plenary session and have 22 other multi-purpose meeting rooms. In addition, it will have about 4500m² of flexible exhibition and banqueting space, along with associated press and delegate support facilities and general utility spaces.

It has been estimated that the Convention Centre will, when fully operational, generate about 30,000 extra visitors to Ireland per year, and associated annual foreign revenue earnings of between €25m and €50m. I understand that a total of 29 international events involving over 236,000 delegate days have already been secured for the Centre. These include meetings of the International Bar Association (4,000 delegates) and the International Statistics Institute (3,000 delegates) as well as the International Conference of Emergency Medicine with over 2,000 delegates.

In order to compete on an equal footing with comparable conference venues in other countries, it will be important that a full range of conference facilities be available. As I mentioned at the outset, the purpose of this Bill is to provide a fit-for-purpose intoxicating liquor licence for the new facility. In view of the projected opening of the Convention Centre on 1 September, there is some urgency now in getting the new licence in place and I am grateful to the Opposition for facilitating speedy consideration and enactment of the Bill.

Section 1 of the Bill provides for the issuing by the Revenue Commissioners of a licence which will permit the sale and consumption of intoxicating liquor at events which will be held in the new Convention Centre.

I want to stress that the proposed licence is not the equivalent of an ordinary 7-day alcohol licence. Under the proposed licence, alcohol may only be sold to, and consumed by, those attending or taking part in an event in the Centre. Sales of alcohol to members of the public will not be permitted. Moreover, subsection (4) provides that the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport will make regulations prescribing the actual areas in the Convention Centre in which such sale and consumption may take place. 

An important distinction is being made in the Bill between what is called a 'convention event' and a 'non-convention' event. The former is defined as a conference, congress, convention, seminar or symposium, held in and involving the use of some or all of the conference facilities of the Convention Centre, and includes a reception, dinner, banquet or stage show held as part of such an event involving the use of some or all of the facilities of the Convention Centre.

When such an event is taking place, the Bill will permit the sale of alcohol to those attending or taking part in it during the period beginning one hour before it commences, but not earlier before 10.30 a.m., and ending one hour after it concludes or midnight, whichever is the earlier. However, where a reception, dinner, banquet or stage show is being held which is part of a conference, congress, convention, seminar or symposium, the sale and consumption of alcohol may continue until 2.00 a.m. In such cases, there will be no requirement to apply to the District Court for a special exemption order.

In order to facilitate use of the Convention Centre's facilities at times during which convention events are not taking place, the PPP agreement permits the holding of what the Bill refers to as a 'non-convention' event.

A 'non-convention' event is defined as a trade fair (this might be a fair open to members of the public or confined to a specific economic or services sector), a live sporting event, or a reception, dinner, banquet or stage show which is not held as part of a conference, congress, convention, seminar or symposium.

When such a 'non-convention' event is taking place in the Convention Centre, the sale and consumption of alcohol will be subject to the normal licensing hours set out in section 2 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1927, as amended. Moreover, any extension beyond normal licensing hours for a 'non-convention' event will require a special exemption of the District Court and the normal conditions, e.g. advance notice to the Gardaí, will apply. 

These provisions will ensure that there is no distortion of competition between the Convention Centre and other venues capable of holding non-convention events.

Section 2 amends section 1094 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 by providing for tax clearance of the applicant as a condition for the issue of the licence. 

Section 3 contains the standard commencement and interpretation provisions. It is intended that the Bill shall come into operation immediately upon enactment. 

A Cheann Comhairle,

I commend this short Bill to the House.