Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)

The wide availability of alcohol in our society has led to many social problems. Easy access to alcohol in shops, petrol stations and supermarkets is contributing to underage and binge drinking. Last year's Eurobarometer survey found that 34%of Irish drinkers engage in binge drinking more than once a week, compared to an EU average of 10%. This illustrates the extent of the problem in this country.

Walking into most shops, the first item that greets one is the display of wine or beer. I welcome the proposal regarding the separation of alcohol products from the general retail area. One often sees supermarket shoppers putting alcohol in their trolleys before they even look at the food. I would go further and argue that alcohol displays in shop windows should be outlawed.

I support the proposals to restrict the hours of sale of off-licences to between 10.30 a.m. and 10 p.m. This will help to reduce the number of public order offences. However, limiting opening hours for licensed premises on Sunday nights will not go far in solving the problems associated with alcohol abuse. According to the Garda, Sunday nights are usually quiet.

A shortcoming of the Bill is the failure to provide for staggered closing times for nightclubs. It makes little sense to allow customers of all such venues to emerge onto the streets at the same time, particularly in Dublin's busy city centre. This will serve only to facilitate anti-social behaviour and make policing more difficult. However, I welcome the proposal to increase the provision of closed circuit television systems on busy streets. I also welcome the Minister's announcement that early houses will not be negatively affected by this legislation. The early houses located near the quays in Dublin have been serving alcohol to dockers and shift workers for many generations and do not represent any threat to public order.

The increase in licences granted in recent years suggests that profit-making comes before respect for people's health and well-being. Between 2003 and 2005, the number of shops selling alcohol increased by 35%. However, in spite of the increased availability of alcohol, we are doing nothing to shake off our reputation as binge drinkers. We now have 4,300 off-licences in the State, or one for every 750 adults. In my own local area, there are 19 licensed premises within five minutes of each other. We have made alcohol so easily accessible that we should not be shocked at the extent of anti-social behaviour in our communities.

I welcome the move to apply the same rules to wine retailers' licences as pertain to beer and sprit licences. I agree that all types of alcohol sales should require District Court certificates. Deputy Mitchell and other Members spoke about the absence of an effective identification card scheme. Many underage people gain access to nightclubs using another person's identification card. This is a serious problem and action must be taken to curb it.

I am disappointed that the Bill does not implement expert recommendations on the labelling of alcohol products in a manner similar to the labelling of tobacco. Messages warning of the potential damage to health caused by alcohol would encourage people to reconsider the volume of alcohol they consume. It is particularly important that young people are made aware of the health issues.

As a parent, I welcome the provision allowing gardaí to seize alcohol from individuals who appear to be under 18 years of age. The introduction of on-the-spot fines for people found to be intoxicated or disorderly in a public place is a move in the right direction. However, similar penalties already exist but seem to have been forgotten. The State has an important role to play in ensuring licensing laws are enforced and that public order legislation is adequate and effective. Garda juvenile liaison officers do a great job but they cannot be made fully responsible for the behaviour of our young people. The bottom line is that individuals and parents must be responsible for their own use or abuse of alcohol. I am frequently shocked to observe young people intoxicated as they leave their own homes. I am confident they have not obtained this alcohol from a pub or off-licence but rather that it is freely available to them in their homes.

At the end of the summer, 15 and 16 year olds who have obtained their junior certificate results will want to celebrate their success. We must ensure there is a range of alcohol-free venues in which children can socialise. It is wrong that young people going into these alcohol venues are charged outrageous entrance fees and between €4 and €5 for a bottle of water or soft drinks. This is a growing problem that needs to be addressed. Given that we speak about the need for areas in which children can enjoy themselves this is one that should be examined.

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