Culture
26 Apr 19

Fine Gael propose to establish 'night mayors' in Irish towns and cities

Fine Gael's local election manifesto outlines a plan to introduce 'night mayors', to boost the Irish economy after dark.

Towns and cities in Ireland could be joining the likes of Paris, Zurich, London and Amsterdam in establishing their own 'night mayor' programmes, according to a plan in Fine Gael's local election manifesto. The draft copy of the manifesto has proposed appointing individuals to boost the nighttime economy in Ireland, while also arguing for an extension of licensing hours for serving alcohol.

In various European cities, night mayors work with the city council, mayor, local businesses and residents to ensure that the city's nighttime economy is maximised to its full potential.

Labour Party's spokesperson on Community Arts, Rebecca Moynihan, also proposed a night mayor for Dublin recently. In a statement, Moynihan argued:

“The continued commitment to the night-time economy as a strategy for urban growth can be seen in the establishment of night mayors in major cities such as Amsterdam, Paris, Zurich and London. If Dublin was to have our own night mayor, they would be able to liaise between venues and the courts when it comes to licensing, they would also be able to work with transport companies such as Dublin Bus to develop a better strategy around late night routes."

These proposals closely follow the arguments of Give Us The Night, a campaign fighting to protect and strengthen Irish nightlife in the face of club closures and archaic licensing laws. Through various public meetings held around the country in recent months, Give Us The Night have encouraged wider Irish society to recognise the cultural, social and economic contributions of Irish nightlife.

At their public meeting at the Sugar Club back in January, Give Us The Night's spokesperson, Irish DJ Sunil Sharpe, argued that the country's licensing laws have meant "a slow and silent death for a lot of businesses."

He went on to note that "there's been acknowledgement from the government that something does need to change and there are basic errors in our licensing laws that need to change."