Eddie Bohan (Fianna Fail)

I wish to share time with Senator MacSharry. I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Noel Ahern. I agree with the comments of the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, and most of what has been said by other Senators.

Publicans, whom I represent, do not agree with under age drinking and do not serve under age people. For years my organisation and the Vintners' Federation of Ireland have been pushing for the introduction of identification cards. For some reason this has not happened. The small steps taken to date are not working because the voluntary ID cards are being forged, creating many problems. While I favour the introduction of ID cards for everybody as a way of solving many of the problems of under age drinking, it would not solve them all.

Publicans are not the only people with a problem. As was pointed out, kids are going into discos and clubs with liquor, such as naggins of vodka, in their handbags and pockets. They then order orange juice or coke and mix their own drinks. When they go outside drunk, the proprietor of the establishment, whether a publican or club owner, gets the blame for serving them alcohol.

The other problem is that teenagers have too much money. Most of them are working part-time in the service industry, particularly pubs, hotels and restaurants, where they get significant sums of money in tips – some as much as €100 a night. They do not know what to do with all this money and many spent considerable sums on drink. I will not blame parents for allowing their children to go out and get drunk. However, there is a trend by which young people drink alcohol, either at home or in groups at friends' houses, before going out. It is sad that many young people have consumed a considerable amount of drink before they even leave the house. In such cases, parents are responsible and should address the problem.