Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I concur with my colleagues. There is clearly a space here that needs to be filled. Having youngsters who are out and about, it is something I hear about at first hand. It is happening almost everywhere in the country and young girls and young women in particular fear it when they go out to enjoy a night out. The owners of premises have a responsibility as well. Perhaps licensing laws and so on come into this because it is not only an issue for patrons. We all tell youngsters to look after each other, to watch out for each other and to be careful when they are together but it goes further than that. People who provide premises where alcohol is consumed and where issues of this nature can arise have a responsibility as well. That may be a broader issue than what we are looking at here but I would welcome the carrying out of some work in that regard. If the Minister can come forward with a timeframe within which that could happen, which should be speedy rather than long and drawn-out, that would be very welcome.

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