Lenihan says alcohol legislation due by summer

THE GOVERNMENT hopes to have legislation governing the sale and promotion of alcohol enacted by the summer, Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan told the Dáil.

He said he had received the report of the alcohol advisory group at the end of last month, but he had decided not to publish it.

"Any report should be matched on publication with definitive Government proposals for the implementation of the recommendations in it," he added.

Mr Lenihan said that drink-consumption patterns had changed significantly in recent years.

"There has been a shift from drinking in licensed premises to drinking at home and elsewhere," he said.

"This shift must be reflected in any legislation we introduce. We will not solve the problem with one Act, but will need a number of enactments over a number of years to deal with the situation."

Fine Gael justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan said that there had been an explosion in the number of outlets selling alcohol in the past five years.

"The number of theatre licences has increased by 30 per cent. Special exemption orders were up 11 per cent last year to a massive 91,000," said Mr Flanagan.

He added that there had been a 57 per cent increase in serious public order offences since the introduction of the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 2003.

Mr Flanagan suggested that the Minister should consider the matter of age at which alcohol is available. There were indications that children, perhaps as young as 10 or 11 years, were indulging in alcohol on a regular basis, he added.