Eddie Bohan (Fianna Fail)

I watched the recent television programme to which reference has been made and was greatly shocked by it. I venture to say 99% of publicans in Dublin and throughout the country also found it shocking. They are not responsible for what was shown on the programme, which showed events happening at 3 a.m. The individuals involved were staggering out of night clubs. It is now common practice for many teenage drinkers to start their evening's drinking before they leave home – they may be already drunk before they leave the house. It is much cheaper for them to buy their supply in an off-licence or supermarket and drink at each other's houses in turn from week to week.

I was shocked to learn a few weeks ago that a licence has been granted, for the first time ever, for an off-licence in O'Connell Street, Dublin, at a time when it was already difficult enough to control the situation on the streets when people were coming out of pubs. It makes matters far worse when they can buy alcohol in an off-licence and consume it on the streets. The behaviour shown on the television programme in question was not confined to Dublin – it also applies in other urban areas.