asked the Minister for Justice if he has any plans to help prevent a further increase in the number of under-age persons drinking alcohol.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Under-Age Drinking.
3.
I refer the Deputy to my reply on 17th April, 1975—Dáil Official Report, Volume 279, No. 12, columns 2056 to 2058—to a parliamentary question on the same subject.
For the benefit of those who have not that volume to hand can the Minister tell us the nature of the reply to which he has referred?
I was saying on that occasion that the problem of under-age drinking is a community matter, that it is not something that the law can deter per se and that the main attack on the problem must be made by the community. In that reply, too, I indicated the legal difficulties of prosecuting for under-age drinking. It is an offence in respect of which knowledge on the part of the publican must be proved and it is difficult to prove an offence but in cases where information is available to members of the public, the Garda will be pleased to receive it so that they may be helped to combat the problem.
With a view to assisting publicans regarding the question of age would the Minister consider the provision of identity cards for those between 18 and 21?
I have indicated already the fallacy of the suggestion of providing identity cards for those who have not yet reached the legal age. It would not be appropriate to have such cards but if we were to have cards at all they would have to be for the adult population so that a person who was unable to produce an identity card would be refused a drink.