I wish to share time with Deputy O'Connor.

I am delighted to have an opportunity to contribute to the debate on this Bill, which was presented by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, who was ably assisted by his Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews. The Bill tackles one of the most serious scourges in our society and it will go a long way to challenge the roots of the problem with which we are faced but it will not tackle all of them. That is not the fault of the Minister.

Many older people had their first taste of alcohol at home when they were young and this phenomenon is often overlooked by society. No matter what laws are introduced, no law can dictate to people how they deal with alcohol in the home. This is a serious problem, which cannot be addressed in the legislation, but which must be addressed by society at large. I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed by my constituency colleague, Deputy Joe McHugh, about the availability of youth services. I take much of what he said on board because his background is in dealing with our youth. Many youth centres throughout the State have difficulty staying in existence and, as he correctly pointed out, many young people nowadays face significant disadvantages. However, if these centres were maintained and communities were encouraged to keep them open, young people would have many advantages. Voluntary participation must be encouraged.

Binge drinking and excessive alcohol consumption is a phenomenon affecting our society not only in large towns and cities, but also in rural areas like my own constituency in Donegal. This scourge has grown visibly over the past ten to 20 years and it affects both adults and young people. Ireland has one of the highest alcohol consumption levels in the EU, a statistic about which we should not be proud. It was found in 2006 that the average consumption of alcohol of each person aged 15 and over was 20.8 units per week but 20% of those surveyed did not drink and, therefore, the figure is higher.

There is a very evident binge drinking culture in Ireland among teenagers and those in their early 20s. It is now a case of when a teenager takes his or her first drink as opposed to whether a teenager takes a drink at all. It has become almost unacceptable among young people to resist the temptation of alcohol. A 2007 Eurobarometer survey found that 34% of Irish drinkers consumed five or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting compared to the EU average of 10%. These are stark figures by any standards. There are many reasons for this shift in attitude among young people, which is probably another day's work, but it is not possible to discuss our attitude to alcohol without referring to parental responsibility. While there is significant onus on us, as public representatives, to implement policy in this area in an effort to limit the issues relating to excess alcohol consumption, there is a similar onus on parents to take responsibility for their children's behaviour and whereabouts. One only has to visit a local town in any constituency after a teenage disco to witness the effects of under age and binge drinking, which is an extremely unpleasant sight.

However, it is important to acknowledge the problem is not confined to young people. It is also causing havoc in the workplace among adults. A recent IBEC survey reported that alcohol and alcohol-related illnesses were cited by 12% of companies as a cause of short-term absenteeism from work by males and by 4% of companies as a cause of short-term absenteeism from work by females. The incidence of intoxication in a public place by both juveniles and adults has soared beyond belief in recent years. One only has to read a local newspaper to see the number of people before our courts or on court lists in any given week for alcohol-related offences. It has become a serious problem, which the Government does not take lightly, and I commend the Minister and his predecessor, the Minister, Deputy Brian Lenihan, on their swift action on this matter. Practical changes included in the legislation will be effective.

I refer to a number of the Bill's features. The proposed reforms give effect to recommendations from the Government alcohol advisory group, which carried out an in-depth study of the issues surrounding excess alcohol consumption. The main effect of the legislation is to tackle the increased visibility and availability of alcohol, while strengthening measures to tackle anti-social behaviour. More power will be afforded to gardaí, in that they will be able remove alcohol from those in possession under the age of 18 in a place other than a place used as a private dwelling. This will enhance previous legislation, which makes it illegal for those aged under 18 to buy alcohol or consume alcohol in any place outside the home or in another person's home where they are present by right or with permission. The Garda will also be afforded the power to seize alcohol from any person where its presence is likely to result in annoyance, nuisance or breach of the peace. If there is any resistance during seizure of alcohol in these circumstances, gardaí will have the power to arrest and charge the individual with an offence. Fines will subsequently be imposed upon such individuals, with the maximum fine being €1,000. The Garda will welcome this legislation with open arms because members have great difficulty policing our streets under current legislation. This will give the force a firm hand and I welcome its introduction.

One of the major concerns of the advisory group was the significant increase in recent years in the number of outlets selling alcohol. Alcohol has never been more widely available. The number of licences issued for the sale of spirits and beer increased by approximately 70% between 2001 and 2007, with the number of wine off-licences almost trebling over the same period. The increase in the scale and frequency of alcohol promotions and price discounts, particularly in off-licences and large shopping outlets, is more worrying. These issues compelled the advisory group to recommend a restriction on the supply and visibility of alcohol in mixed trading premises. As a result, the Bill imposes a restriction on the sale of alcohol in off-licences and on-licences to the periods between 10.30 a.m. and 10 p.m. and 12.30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sundays and St. Patrick's Day. This rightly abolishes the provision that permits the sale of alcohol from 7.30 a.m. in mixed trading premises such as supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations, thereby reducing the time alcohol is available in such premises by 29 hours per week, which is significant and must be welcomed.

No single measure or change in law will solve the problem of excessive alcohol consumption but the Bill goes some of the way towards tackling the issues surrounding the problem. A change in attitude is required. As a nation, we must tackle this together and society, as a whole, must bring about that change. We have never been more educated about the consequences of alcohol abuse, yet it is spiralling out of control. It is easy to point the finger at our youth but, as adults, we must lead by example and prove that responsible consumption of alcohol and a respect for alcohol is acceptable and fashionable in society.

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