It's been reported that a takeaway restaurant franchise is claiming that by extending its opening hours it can help with anti-social behaviour problems in a busy Kerry tourist town.
OKR group operates 26 Burger King outlets nationwide including a premises in busy Killarney town, Kerry. The Irish Examiner reports they are seeking permission form authorities to further their weekend opening hours to 3.30am. They are currently only permitted to stay open until 1am.
Restrictions have been placed on opening hours in an effort to stop the trouble caused by people staying on the streets after the local restaurants and pubs had closed.
OKR, however, stated that by providing security at their College Street outlet, they would actually reduce instances of anti-social behaviour on Killarney streets.
The opening hours restriction was enforced a decade ago, and only effects businesses that have opened since then. Some of OKR's competitors can stay open later, which they have described as a "commercial and planning imbalance" and an "unfair impediment".
The Irish Examiner report goes on to add independent county councillor and former Killarney town councillor Donal Grady disagreed that later opening hours would help with trouble on the streets, while insisting the current laws were fair.
"My own view also is that 1am is a reasonable closing time and there shouldn't be any new extensions of that time. We've enough takeaways open until 3am," said Grady.
