Reforms to late licensing laws that are aimed at extending opening times of pubs and nightclubs are set to be acted on "in due course", however there is no timeline for when any changes will be made to legislation.
Previously, there were proposed changes approved by the last government but they never progressed through the Oireachtas.
The Sale of Alcohol Bill 2022 aims to extend opening hours of pubs to 12:30am, late bars to 2:30am, and nightclubs to 6am.
In a subsequent press conference, then minister for justice Helen McEntee said she had hoped the bill would pass through the Oireachtas and be enacted by summer 2023.
It never happened and in 2026, the bill remains on the shelf.
Sunil Sharpe, DJ and spokesperson for the night-time economy campaign Give Us The Night, has said he wants urgency from the Government on the matter.
"Sometimes we see mention of the Government and our social contract but, when I hear that, I often feel very strongly about how the Government has broken its social contract, particularly to younger people and those who are expecting something with nightlife," he said.
Some critics claim the bill would promote excessive alcohol use, which the DJ argued is about supporting an entire industry.
"In Ireland at the moment we have to have a little bit of flexibility," he said.
"The dancing crowds are different to the pub crowds. Sometimes people are at the pub, and they will want to go on to a nightclub, but by and large people now are starting in the club and then they're not ready to go home (when it closes at 2am)."
"We need to get this over the line and start enjoying those changes and start bringing our nighttime economy to the next level," Mr Sharpe added.
"It's not only down to licensing laws and extension of times but that will give a lot of these venues a fighting chance going forward."
As of 2025, 83 nightclubs remain in Ireland - a reduction from over 500 since the year 2000.
Ian Redmond, the owner and proprietor of Hyde nightclub, bar and restaurant on Grafton Street in Dublin, has also been calling for reforms to licensing laws to give him more flexibility about when he can open his business.
Speaking to Morning Ireland, he said it was his belief that, should the Republic of Ireland men’s football team qualify for the World Cup, it presents an opportunity for a pilot programme to be established.
"If we do qualify, we play South Korea, South Africa and Mexico, and rather than being early in the morning like 8am or 9am, it looks like they'll be 3am and 4am," he said.
"I think it will show that responsible publicans can run their businesses and run them well and provide somewhere for people to go and watch these games."
A commitment to reforming licensing laws is contained in the current Programme for Government, but a timeline remains unclear - as the bill does not feature among the Government's Legislation Programme for Spring 2026.
In a statement, the Department of Justice said: "The Programme for Government commits to updating our licensing laws, and in line with this commitment, this will be progressed in due course."
