Justice Minister Michael McDowell has warned publicans that if they continue to resist his proposals for new cafe bar licences, they might end up losing the current arrangement.
Under existing procedures an existing licence has to be extinguished before a new one is granted.
Speaking in Cork after a Cabinet meeting, Minister McDowell said the one for one extinguishment provision remains part of his proposals for the drinks industry, but if the publicans' lobby cannot accept the whole package, they might find other parts of it disappear too.
Mr McDowell was speaking after the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, said the cafe bar licence was still a matter for discussion, and was not yet official Government policy.
Asked about opposition to the plan among Fianna Fáil TDs, Mr Ahern said the minister was going to speak to backbenchers about the issue.
He pointed out, however, that the plan was 'not set in stone', but was up for discussion and would come back to Cabinet for a final decision.
