Seanad debates
Wednesday, 18 June 2003
Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2003: Second Stage.
I commend the Bill to the House and I thank the Minister for bringing it forward at this time. He is only too well aware, as other Senators have said, that there are deep cultural issues involved in this matter. It is important to see this legislation as only one of a series of instruments which we need to use. It is important also not to give the impression that we are dumping on young people who are only doing what we teach them to aspire to do. It is the adults in society who set the cultural norms. Theirs is the cycle we must break. There is not a great deal of logic in talking about introducing continental mores to Ireland while that culture remains.
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