Senior gardaí, elected representatives and interest groups are to campaign jointly against abuse of drink in Kerry for the rest of the year in a drive against alcohol-related crime by the Kerry joint policing committee.
The mayors of Tralee, Killarney and Listowel are involved. Killorglin area councillor Patrick Connor-Scarteen (FG), chair of the committee, said there was a serious need to tackle alcohol misuse, including underage drinking.
Kerry’s most senior Garda officer, Chief Supt Pat Sullivan, said many Public Order Act offences and cases of assault causing harm arose from misuse of alcohol.
“From my experience of prosecuting in the courts, sittings of courts would be very short if alcohol and drugs were not such a factor,” he said.
Parents needed to look at their own behaviour in this regard, he added.