Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

The current laws do not provide sufficient sanctions to deter this type of conduct. Reference was made to the Judiciary. I wish to salute a member of the Judiciary in County Clare who insists when a person is convicted of a public order offence related to alcohol that the person produces at his or her own cost an alcohol-free urine sample to gardaí two or three times a week. This measure has had a substantial impact on improving the position in Ennis. We must examine more initiatives of this type. If individuals are not prepared to take responsibility for their behaviour, the State must intervene. The argument that this is thenanny state is too glib and I do not accept it. There are, of course, some measures I would not support.

We must be careful on the issue of the licensed trade. Many suggestions made revolve around imposing further restrictions on publicans and licence holders whose job of running their premises and maintaining order is already difficult. It is clear from the statistics that much of the increased consumption of alcohol stems from home drinking and from off-licence purchases. Much excessive consumption, as we well know, also takes place in night-clubs. Therefore, to exclusively target licensed premises will not lead to great progress in this area. The State must remind individuals of their responsibilities, irrespective of their age.