Ireland's nightlife sector is set to see big changes within months thanks to plans to boost the late-night economy.
The Government last week confirmed that work has begun to allow nightclubs to remain open into the early hours of the morning as part of a major reform of Irish licensing laws.
The move would see people permitted to stay drinking and dancing until 6am.
READ MORE:Blow to nightlife plans over Covid delays as big changes coming to nightclub opening hours
It is expected that a bill allowing for existing laws to be changed will be published within weeks.
Meanwhile, recommendations are also being worked on for the development of more options for alcohol-free activities in Ireland.
A government spokesperson said: “A working group was established in January, to explore more options for alcohol-free activities for the night-time economy.
“The group is made up of representatives from Government, Give Us The Night, Dublin Town, dry bars and cafes.”
The spokesman said the group will provide fresh recommendations “in due course”.
It comes as after the plan promising a rebirth of Irish nightlife has been hit with delays.
Launched last September by Culture Minister Catherine Martin, it hoped to revive an industry dealing with soaring rents and the impact of the pandemic.
But some targets have already been missed, the Department of Culture has admitted.
It had been hoped that by the end of March, a scheme would be ready to support cafe owners who want their venues to stay open later, with funding offered for entertainment.
That is not yet in place, with plans instead for it to launch in the springtime. A Department spokesman blamed the spread of Covid-19 last December as the reason for the delay to some of the proposals contained in the report of the night-time economy taskforce.
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