Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 20 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 4

Written Answers. - Under Age Drinking.

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

634 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, in view of the serious problem of under age drinking throughout the country, he will bring into immediate force the section of the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 2000, which requires all off-licences to display their name and address on all containers used for alcohol and thereby greatly assist the gardaí in tracing the source of alcohol sold to minors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9410/02]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

Section 17 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 2000, provides that the name of the owner, and the address, of premises to which an on-licence or an off-licence is attached shall be clearly indicated on a label affixed to any container in which intoxicating liquor is sold for consumption off the premises.

The aim of this section, which has not yet entered into force, is to complement existing provisions designed to combat the consumption of intoxicating liquor by persons under the age of 18 years. My Department is considering how best to overcome practical and technical difficulties relating to the labelling of individual containers – particularly in relation to the possible removal or altering of labels after sale – with a view to ensuring the effective implementation of this section.

While the labelling of containers may assist the Garda in efforts to combat underage drinking, the effectiveness of this measure could be undermined to some extent by what has become known as "secondary purchasing", that is, the purchase of alcohol by persons who have attained 18 years of age for illegal consumption by under-18s. Intoxicating liquor found by gardaí in the possession of persons under 18 may have been sold in good faith by the on-licence or off-licence concerned to a person of 18 years or over.

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

635 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will confirm that a number of prosecutions for sale of alcohol to minors under the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 2000, have been struck out due to the court summonses omitting the requirement for publicans to produce their licences in court; the way in which this error occurred; if he will give an undertaking that this error will be corrected immediately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9411/02]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I am informed that the Courts Service is not in a position to confirm whether or not prosecutions were struck out for the reasons stated in the question. I have, however, requested the Courts Service to examine the matter further and report to me. I will communicate further with the Deputy when I receive this report.