Ireland can expect an increase in alcohol-related deaths, if licensed trading hours are extended.
Alcohol Action Ireland will give the warning to the Oireachtas Justice Committee later today, as it continues to scrutinise the Sale of Alcohol Bill.
If passed, the new legislation would allow pubs to stay open until 12.30, and nightclubs until 6am.
Alcohol Action CEO, Sheila Gilheany says we can't underestimate the effect this will have on public health.
"Just to give one particular example, in Amsterdam where they did a study on this, for every extra hour that you had licenced premises opened, you had 34% more alcohol related injuries."
