Teenagers make up half of those fined for public alcohol drinking

Teenagers accounted for more than half of all people fined by Dublin Corporation in the first year of new by-laws banning the drinking of alcohol in public.

A total of 1,704 fines, each of £25, were issued in the 12 months to November 6th under the intoxicating liquor by-laws, the local authority has revealed.

Some 43 people have also been prosecuted in the courts, where stiffer penalties have been imposed.

A spokesman for the corporation said the figures showed it had been proactive in tackling anti-social behaviour, which was the main target of the by-laws.

The most frequent offenders were 18- and 19-year-olds, accounting for 227 fines (13 per cent) and 361 fines (21 per cent) respectively.

Under-age drinkers accounted for 286 fines (17 per cent). These included 35 15-year-olds and six 14-year-olds.

In the post-teenage bracket, the number of fines decreased with age, with people in their 20s accounting for 614 fines, those in their 30s for 143 fines and over-40s in a total of 73 fines.

Most fines were issued on the north side of the city, with Garda stations at Coolock, Santry, Mountjoy, Finglas, Ballymun and Raheny heading the list, each with at least 150 fines issued up to yesterday.

The by-laws ban all forms of public drinking, including unlicensed street parties or picnics. The spokesman said, however: "We haven't had anyone hauled in for having a bottle of wine on a sunny day in the park. That's not what this law was brought in for."

Nor, he said, was the law designed to clamp down on homeless people or "the spillover from pubs".

While enforcement was at the discretion of garda∅, he said, "we haven't had anyone saying they were fined just for stepping out of a pub".

Similar by-laws have been introduced more recently by D·n-Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin County Councils.

A spokesman for Fingal County Council said it was due to bring forward proposals in the coming weeks which would complete a Dublin-wide ban on the drinking of alcohol in public.

All the local authority by-laws have been designed to target "anti-social behaviour" rather than under-age drinking. Their introduction follows complaints from residents about youths hanging around in public parks and streets, drinking alcohol and making excessive noise.

The laws can be relaxed by the city manager in the case of major civic celebrations or sporting events on receipt of an application not less than six weeks before an event.

Regarding prosecutions, the corporation spokesman said it was targeting groups drinking in parties or repeat offenders.

Under the by-laws, offenders can be fined £1,000 on summary conviction, although to date the largest penalty handed down has been £225, including costs.