'Hold fire' on ban on 'bushing', say Athenry-Oranmore councillors
.jpg?width=96&crop=1:1,smart)
Councillors representing the Athenry-Oranmore area have urged caution over Tuam's new public drinking bye-laws, saying the scheme should be treated as a pilot, before any decision is made to introduce similar measures.
The issue arose at this month’s meeting of the Athenry Municipal District, where councillors were told there are no immediate plans to introduce the bye-laws in their own area.
However, officials said the Local Community Safety Partnership would monitor how the Tuam scheme operates before considering whether other parts of the county should follow suit.
"If the community safety co-ordinator says other MDs should look at it, we will look at that," officials told the meeting.
"It has gathered legs because of the publicity around it. The Local Community Safety Partnership will be considering how the bye-laws are going.
“It is something we will look at in the future – not at the moment. We will see how they implement the bye-laws in Tuam."
Councillors broadly agreed that it was too early to consider introducing similar restrictions in the Athenry- Oranmore area, with several raising concerns about enforcement and the potential impact on tourism.
Turloughmore Cllr David Collins (FG) said Tuam should be viewed as a pilot scheme before any decision is taken elsewhere.
"We need to tread very carefully," he said.
"We need to look at it as a pilot scheme and review it in six months' time."
Corrandulla Cllr James Charity (FG) questioned whether there was a need for the bye-laws in his area.
"I am sceptical about the necessity for any of this – the devil is in the detail," he said.
"I am not aware of any anti-social behaviour issues going on in my neck of the woods with alcohol abuse. If people are sitting out having a barbecue, are they in breach of a bye-law?"
Athenry Cllr Peter Feeney (FG) said councillors should "hold fire" until the issue formally comes before them, while Oranmore Cllr Cillian Keane (FF) questioned how the bye-laws would be enforced on the ground.
The public drinking bye-laws were adopted by Tuam Municipal District last month, banning the consumption of alcohol in public places, as well as possessing alcohol with the intention of consuming it in public.
The restrictions apply in public parks and playgrounds, green spaces, streets and footpaths, beaches, riverbanks, church grounds and cemeteries, among other public places.
If people are sitting out having a barbecue, are they in breach of a bye-law?
They do not apply to licensed outdoor seating areas, approved festivals or sporting events, or to people carrying unopened alcohol home from an off licence.
Anyone who refuses to stop drinking, leave the area or surrender alcohol when directed by a member of An Garda Síochána or a Community Warden, may receive a €75 fine.
Failure to pay can ultimately result in prosecution and a maximum court fine of €1,900. The Tuam bye-laws were first proposed by Cllr Shaun Cunniffe (Ind Ire) in 2024.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.