Gardaí have made almost 40 times the number of convictions for selling alcohol to underage people in the west compared to the Dublin area, new figures show.
Since the introduction of the Liquor Licencing Act in July 2000, there have been 13 prosecutions in Dublin, compared to 121 in Clare, Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.
The pattern is repeated in the area of pub closures, with seven closures in the Dublin area compared to 92 in the west. The Labour Party's justice spokesman, Mr Joe Costello, said it was clear that the law in relation to underage customers was not being adequately implemented in the Dublin area. Mr Costelloe, who obtained the information in a parliamentary question, called for Government action to ensure that the promised crackdown following the introduction of the Act was followed up in all parts of the country. "The legislation has been enacted to stop the supply of alcohol to minors and clearly some parts of the country are acting on it. It is up to the gardaí and the Government to explain why they have been blatantly selective in choosing to operate the provisions of this important Act," he said. The legislation provides for prosecutions, convictions and closure orders for publicans or off-licences who sell alcohol to underage people.
Gardaí in Mayo, under the supervision of Chief Superintendent John Carey, have been responsible for much of the high level of activity in the west. A Garda spokesperson was not available to comment on the national figures.
The Department of Justice figures show the number of convictions drops substantially outside the region, with 41 pub closures in the southern area, 21 in the south-east, 17 in the east and 15 in the northern area.
Publicans, however, say they are finding it increasingly difficult to judge the age of customers and have called for a mandatory identity card to combat under-age drinking. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr McDowell, has said people aged between 18 and 25 will have to prove their age to enter pubs at night under new proposals.
Mr McDowell has said that it will be up to pub and nightclub owners to ensure people on their premises between these ages have identification documents to prove they were above the legal drinking age. Sanctions for failure to do so would include temporary closure of premises.
The Vintners' Federation of Ireland, which represents publicans outside Dublin, has also called for the enforcement of fines where adults knowingly order alcoholic drinks for those under the legal age.
