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Liquor Licensing Laws.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2004

Tuesday, 17 February 2004

Questions (358)

Richard Bruton

Question:

444 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has proposals to deal with the unsatisfactory situation whereby many club managers are requiring younger patrons to produce their passport as evidence of age; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this is resulting in a high level of theft of passports; if he will enter into discussions with appropriate Ministers to ensure that an adequate system of identification is available without resorting to the use of passports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4521/04]

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Written answers

Section 15 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 provides that a licensee shall not permit a person aged 18 to 20 to be in the bar of licensed premises if that person does not produce an age document to the licensee. "Age document" is defined in section 15 as including a Garda age card, a passport, an identity card of a member state of the European Communities, a driver licence or a document issued by a body and in a form prescribed in regulations made by the Minister. The obligation to produce an age document to gain admission to the bar of licensed premises is intended to assist licensees to comply with legislative provisions relating to underage consumption of alcohol and to assist the Garda Síochána in enforcing the law.

Section 40 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1988 provides that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform may by regulations provide for the issue of an age card to those who have attained 18 years of age and are, therefore, legally entitled to purchase and consume alcohol in licensed premises. The Intoxicating Liquor Act 1988 (Age Card) Regulations 1999 set out detailed provisions in relation to the application and authentication procedure as well as procedures for the preparation and issue of age cards. To date, more than 151,000 cards have been issued by the Garda.

I would encourage licensees to accept the Garda age card as an age document for the purposes of section 15 of the 2003 Act. If a licensee suspects that such a card has been forged or altered, the Garda should be notified as it is an offence to forge a document purporting to be an age card, alter an age card, or use such a document or an altered age card with intent to deceive. In the absence of such a suspicion, I can see no reason a licensee should refuse to accept a Garda age card as an age document.

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