New tough measures to tackle alcohol-related pressures on hospital Accident & Emergency (A&E) Departments will be debated in the Dáil this evening.
Fine Gael will use its Private Members' time to highlight health and safety risks in A&E departments.
The party's health spokesperson, Dr Liam Twomey, said: "Over one-quarter of all A&E attendances are drink fuelled and, with many of them taking place in the early hours of the morning, it is often a nightmare for frontline staff who have to deal with abuse from people who may not require medical attention.
"As was borne out by a recent Health & Safety Authority investigation, the risk of workplace violence is greater for A&E staff and current arrangements are inadequate," he said.
"One area where these risks could be reduced is through our tough proposals to tackle the prevalence of A&E drunks and the hangers-on who frequently accompany them," he added.
One of the measures suggested by Dr Twomey include the introduction of "wet rooms", where people found to be drunk but not actually ill or injured can sleep it off, isolated from other patients and medical personnel.
"Naturally these rooms would have to have security staff and be medically supervised but removing this element from A&Es would represent a significant risk reduction," he said.
Other measures proposed by Fine Gael include an increased Garda presence in A&Es at the weekend and a doubling of the charge for attendance for those who are found to be simply under the influence of alcohol and not ill or injured.