Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Ms Eimear Murphy and Mr. Ian O'Sullivan and offer my huge congratulations to them on their fantastic achievement. I thank them for their excellent presentation. It is a huge volume of work and they have shared some interesting but shocking statistics. We have a major problem in this country with alcohol. The reason we have a minimum age - 18 years - for consumption is health. Not alone is it shocking, but it is also outrageous that one fifth of parents surveyed would not be concerned if another parent was to supply their adolescent with alcohol. The age limit is 18 years of age for a reason and no parent should supply an under-age child with alcohol. Furthermore, it is outrageous that parents would accept it.

Mr. O'Sullivan and Ms Murphy said there was a need for improved policing of the law on under-age adolescents purchasing alcohol, in addition to having responsible bar staff. In my view, there is a need for improvement in policing the law in the case of parents supplying under-age children with alcohol. I cannot get over the fact that the statistic is so high, at 20%. It is outrageous. I made a point to the Minister on which he was not sold. It was about increasing the age at which alcohol could be purchased from an off-licence to 21 years. I was thinking about the difference in the gap between a 22 and a 23 year old supplying alcohol to a 15 or a 16 year old. I am beginning to think the Minister might have been right if parents are supplying it. What do Mr. O'Sullivan and Ms Murphy think of my proposal?