Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister. I am delighted he accepted a common sense amendment tabled by Deputy Jim O'Keeffe last week. The 10 p.m. time restriction should not be set in stone for all time. Time will prove there is much off season tourism in remote places. The west and Donegal already have off-season tourism when people bring families on holiday. We need to keep an open mind on the legislation which prohibits under 18 year olds from being in pubs after 9 p.m. in the winter.

Before any debate on alcohol, we must acknowledge that Irish people like to drink. It is part of what we are and we must be open, up front and frank about it. This afternoon Denis Bradley, who chairs the North West Alcohol Forum, will be in the House and will meet the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Tim O'Malley, to address alcohol problems in the north west. It is important the Minister stays in close touch with that group which has many good ideas. It is not my opinion that Irish people like to drink; it was said by Denis Bradley. He was the first person to say that before we do anything, we should start from the premise that Irish people like to drink.

It is accepted that unless a young person can show valid identification, he or she should not have access to alcohol. However, the next challenge is what happens to 15, 16 or 17 year olds. As far as I am concerned, a 15 or 16 year old is a young adult. I am not saying they should have access to, or be served, alcohol in a pub but they are young adults and the question is what do we do for them? The only places where young people can be with their peers — every young person wants to be in a group — is at a disco or in their own homes. Senator Bohan hit the nail on the head when he said young people are meeting before they go to the pub. They have no problem drinking on the street on a cold night as long as they are well wrapped up. That is a challenge we must face. How do we cater for that group?

As I said, everybody wants to be part of a group just as Fianna Fáil wants to be part of that all-encompassing Sinn Féin-Fianna Fáil group even though the natural partners for Fianna Fáil at present are the Progressive Democrats. Young people want to be part of a group, to hang out or, to use their language, "to chill out" with their peers.