The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, has been criticised for confusing the issue of deregulating pub licences with under-age drinking. The chairman of the Progressive Democrats, Mr John Minihan, said it would be more useful for the Minister to concentrate on penalising those who sell alcohol to minors than using under-age drinking as an excuse not to deregulate out of date licensing practices.
Mr Minihan said it was incorrect for Mr Martin to suggest that with deregulated entry into the pub trade, it would be easier for minors to buy alcohol.
"It is against the law to serve alcohol to under-18s, irrespective of the licensing regime, and it is wrong for Micheal Martin to try to muddy the waters on this debate," he said.
The solution to this problem, he said, lay in public awareness and enforcement of very strict laws on under-age drinking.
Mr Minihan said it was deeply disturbing that there had been just one prosecution under the new laws.