No Changes Made To Trading Hours Two Years After Consultation

The Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has been criticised for having failed to introduce extending opening hours for the licensing trade, despite a public consultation held almost two years ago.

Currently restrictions are maintained from the Thursday before Easter through until Easter Sunday.

Bars are required to stop serving at midnight on both the Thursday and Saturday, can only open from 17:00 until 23:00 on Good Friday, and must stop serving at 22:00 on Easter Sunday.

A public consultation, which closed in November 2012, the minister had proposed extending Easter opening hours, allowing bars to serve until 1am on the Thursday and Saturday. The revisions stopped short of allowing additional trading on the Friday or Sunday.

No new legislation has yet been introduced.

Mr McCausland is said to be giving the changes "careful consideration", and is expected to make an announcement "in the near future".