Later pub closing `an act of madness'

Young Irish people were subjected to "seductive and bullshit" alcohol advertising every 10 minutes on television, said Mr Brendan McGahon (FG, Louth). It was sheer hypocrisy by all governments to "close down the door on cigarette smoking and at the same time promote the indiscriminate sale of alcohol".

The attitude of the Government and his own party to alcohol "sticks in my craw", he said, particularly when it was the national illness. It was the greatest social scandal in Irish society and, in his opinion, accounted for at least 80 per cent of all social ills.

He was speaking during the debate on the Intoxicating Liquor Bill, which extends opening hours but increases penalties for under-age drinking.

The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, who introduced the legislation, said it was socially and economically acceptable. The legislation introduced innovative, workable and strict penalties against those who "engage in the criminally irresponsible practice of selling or supplying intoxicating liquor to underage persons".

He recognised that more needed to be done and he would establish a commission on licensing to examine the nature of the off-licence and other forms of licence. He believed that the Bill's proposals "represent the best possible deal for all", including parents who "are deeply worried about the negative consequences of underage drinking".

However, Mr McGahon told the Minister it was an "act of madness" to increase opening hours and he hoped "there won't be too many extra families who will possibly point the finger to you and your Government for providing more stimulus to the biggest problem that faces this country".

He said the sale and consumption of drink appeared to be a Government objective and not just of the current administration. It should be an "absolute priority" that the "glamorisation of alcohol for young people" should be eliminated.

He said "cigarette companies have to carry a health warning. Why do drink companies not have to carry the same? Why are the youth of the country subjected to seductive and bullshit advertising every 10 minutes on television? A good looking woman, a good looking fellow and the spontaneous gaiety in the pub. It doesn't show the family who may be cowering at home, waiting for a father or, indeed, a mother to come home, perhaps four sheets to the wind."

He said youngsters could not get away from drink advertising. They were in watching television and were asked every 10 minutes if they were going for a drink. That was the propaganda, the repetitive effective.

Fine Gael's justice spokesman said there was a scandalous degree of parental negligence about alcohol. Mr Jim Higgins said nothing was being done to come to terms with the alcohol crisis.

"It is difficult to understand the indifference of parents to the welfare of their own children, the failure of parents to establish and to know exactly where their children are, who they are with or what they are doing; the failure of parents to check if their 13, 14 or 15-year-old has the smell of alcohol on his or her breath when they return home."

He welcomed many of the measures in the Bill but said the legislation was a missed opportunity because "to change and liberalise the liquor licensing laws without complementing such relaxation with a thoughtful, planned and comprehensive policy to combat the use and abuse of alcohol is irresponsible".